"The measures fall far short of what's needed to address the challenges in hospitality" says Wexford Hotelier Colm Neville following Budget

The Enterprise Minister Peter Burke is dismissing allegations that he neglected the hospitality sector in the budget.

According to the Restaurants Association, over 1,000 businesses may face closure due to the government's decision not to restore the 9% VAT rate. The association also criticized a €4,000 grant for businesses, calling it both insignificant and insulting. Speaking to Alan Corcoran on the Morning Mix, Wexford Hotelier Colm Neville said that the government didn't go far enough in supporting hospitality businesses: "It's hugely disappointing from the Irish Hotels Federations' point of view. We feel that the measures that have come out fall far, far short of what's needed to address the huge challenges that exist, particularly in food-led hospitality businesses. It's not just the Hotels Federation—Eoghan O'Mara Walsh of the Irish Tourism Confederation and Adrian Cummins of the Restaurant Association are also on the same page, all believing that there's a growing commercial crisis in this sector."