The hospitality sector has suffered enormously since the pandemic began. As the Minister is aware, people had barely settled back to work when it was deemed necessary to implement further restrictions. Hotels are being particularly hard hit by these restrictions. Room bookings, meetings and numerous events have been cancelled. This will drastically curtail seasonal trading for hotels in Tipperary and throughout the country. They most certainly will not have the thin layer of financial security they had hoped for as they head into the bleak months of January and February. It has been highlighted extensively by many in the sector that they have had difficulties in hiring staff since they reopened. Most are operating on a skeleton staff or are seriously understaffed. Those who manage to hire staff are anxious to hold onto them but they are worried they will be unable to afford to do so. Hotels are seeking support in the form of the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, to enable them to retain their staff until the easing of restrictions permit them to trade fully.

I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this issue. The Government has announced the reinstatement of the enhanced rates of the EWSS, which is a very important support for the hospitality sector and all other sectors. There are qualifying criteria because this is taxpayers' money. In essence it relates to a 30% reduction in turnover relative to a reference period back in 2019. The EWSS remains open for new entrants until the end of the year. It is open to any participant to add new employees at any point until then. The plan is that it will be tapered off with a view to ending in April next year. The Minister for Finance will come before the House later today to debate the Finance Bill and additional amendments that have come from the Seanad. This will provide another opportunity to discuss the finer points of how it will work.