Without tourism, Kerry would be a wasteland of closed businesses, massive dole queues and crowded airplanes heading out on the emigration trails once more, it has been claimed.
Fianna Fáil general election candidate, Cllr Michael Cahill, said commercial rates and VAT must be reduced for the sector immediately to avoid disaster.
“Closed businesses are no good to anyone, not employers, employees, Kerry County Council nor Revenue. I am fearful that we will kill the goose that lays the golden egg if we do not bring rates assessments back to realistic levels,” he said.
Cllr Cahill has warned Kerry has warned that the crisis that the hospitality sector is experiencing in the county, is about to get one hundred times worse over the winter months, unless their applied VAT rate is reduced to nine per cent and their commercial rates bills that have doubled, trebled and quadrupled are returned to somewhere near previous levels.
“I am speaking daily to business owners who cannot see their way to continue in business following receipt of commercial rates bills following the revaluation process,” he said.
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