HotelscallonGovernmenttokeep ‘vital’wagesubsidyprogramme

THE Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is calling on the Government to extend the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) which is due to end in mid-June, before many businesses, including hotels, can reopen.

IHF President Elaina Fitzgerald Kane said that while the current employment supports are very welcome, they must be retained until the Government restrictions on physical distancing and mass gathering are lifted.

Currently 90 per cent of hotels across the country are closed, while the majority of the 260,000 people employed in tourism and hospitality prior to the crisis are currently laid off.

“Employment supports are vital for the road to recovery for businesses, including those in tourism and hospitality, which have been devastated by the COVID-19 crisis. Tourism can play a strong role in Ireland’s economic recovery, but it requires support to do so, including employment initiatives such as the TWSS. However, its continuation must be aligned with the recovery of the tourism sector to have a meaningful impact on the preservation of employment levels across the industry,” said Ms Fitzgerald Kane.

“This is the greatest health crisis in living memory, and we appreciate that significant resources are being committed to address the overriding issue of public health. However, the health and wellbeing of all citizens is intertwined with the economy, and people will need livelihoods after the crisis is over,” she said.

Photo by Domnick Walsh Staff member Carol Daly gets food ready for delivery at the ‘Halfway shop’ in Ballymacelligott. The shop, Local Link Kerry and the Ballymacelligott Support Group are working together to deliver groceries to locals every Tuesday and Friday during the COVID-19 lock-down.