Kildare hoteliers call for budget measures to support sector
Pictured at IHF meeting with Oireachtas members were IHF Midlands Branch Chair; Minister Martin Heydon; Mary Fennin Byrne, Clanard Court Hotel and Andrew Hyland, The Osprey Photo: Maxwell Photography
KILDARE hoteliers joined peers from across the country in recently meeting with TDs and Senators to discuss the key challenges facing Irish tourism.
The Irish Hotel Federation (IHF) is calling for measures required to ensure development of Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, which supports 12,700 livilihoods in Kildare.
A key concern for hotels and guesthouses across Kildare in the run up to Budget 2027 is the exceptionally high operating costs that tourism and hospitality businesses are grappling with, putting Ireland's competitiveness as a tourism destination at risk. This is being driven to a large extent by successive public policies which have significantly increased operating costs.
Aidan O’Sullivan, Chair of the Midlands Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation saud: “Tourism and hospitality businesses are struggling to deal with unsustainable operating costs that are putting enormous pressure on margins. This is a serious challenge for our sector, including the local tourism economy here in Kildare It is essential that Budget 2027 delivers targeted measures as part of efforts to offset some of these Government-controlled costs and enhance the cost competitiveness and viability of our sector.”
Outlining the key policy priorities for the industry, Mr O’Sullivan stressed the importance of decisive action in the upcoming budget.
The IHF are seeking a meaningful reduction in Employers’ PRSI for labour-intensive hospitality businesses, alongside measures to tackle excessive business costs such as energy network charges, would provide much-needed support to the sector. Additional initiatives, including support for the development of hotel staff accommodation, enhanced resources for hotel sustainability programmes, and measures to increase hotel capacity are being sought.
Increased funding for Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to drive tourism growth, together with further investment in training and skills through the utilisation of the National Training Fund, would also strengthen the industry's long-term prospects, say the IHF.
