Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Acting Leader's presence. I wish to raise an issue I have raised over the past two days. I am again requesting a debate on the hospitality sector. No doubt everybody here has received the same emails I have regarding the hospitality sector - namely, pubs, hotels and restaurants. We received a lot of calls to our office yesterday. On the first day after the budget, I acknowledged the enormous and valiant work the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, did in advocating for the sector in a fair and open manner. He is very much a man of his word. He is very supportive of enterprise, which falls within his brief. I again commend him on his valiant efforts. Clearly, it just could not be brought over the line. As I am not in one of the Government parties, I do not know the ins and out of it. However, I am calling for a debate.

The Acting Leader will be conscious that a number of these organisations are nominating bodies to this Senate. That is very important and we should not ignore it. However, that is not the reason we should be talking about this sector. Those in it want us to represent them. Many of our local authority members, our city and county councillors, run restaurants and other small businesses in the hospitality sector. It is interesting that a very high percentage of counsellors are self-employed and that, in turn, a high percentage of them operate in the hospitality sector.

I ask for a debate with the Minister because he has another plan. All is not lost. He has other ideas he would like to share. We should listen to him and respond to those in a sector that has nominating rights to this House. While I know all Ministers are under pressure, if a slot could be found, even on a Thursday afternoon and should it prove suitable, then let us have the Minister in. Let us have a respectful discussion about how we can find alternatives to support the sector.