Dublin is hosting the Web Summit from today until 6 November. Dublin hotels and guest houses are hiking room rates, in some instances by up to 600%, in an effort to cash in on the Web Summit. Someone mentioned 20,000 visitors to our capital city, and they are most welcome. Someone else said it was the biggest such summit in the world, but prior to the summit starting, some hotels in Dublin were quoting room rates of €60 and €90 per night. This week they are charging €320 per night, an increase of 350%. Those charging a normal rate of €160 per night are charging €463 per night, which is an increase of 280%. Those charging €160 per night last week and next week are charging €270 per night this week. Those charging €100 per night last week are charging €250 per night this week. It is immoral, wrong and it cannot be justified. I know that supply and demand dictates in this case but it gives the wrong impression to tourists coming to this country. Tourists will not return here with such prices being charged. Hotels and restaurants lobbied every one of us-----

Is the Senator calling for a debate on the issue?

I am. They lobbied every one of us to retain the 9% VAT rate, and what is happening now is outrageous. This country is killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Such rates cannot be justified. I spoke to the owner of a hotel in the capital of the south of France. It charges €189 per night.

The Senator is way over time. I call Senator Leyden.

I agree with Senator Brennan because all the Oireachtas Members have been literally thrown out of their hotels, but it is a bit late at this stage to have a debate on the issue. The bird will have flown and their customers will have returned home.

There will be others, although there might not be.

That is a good point. It is exploitation. Senators and Deputies have been thrown out of their hotel rooms, so to speak, to accommodate those people, which is fair enough.

The homeless list has increased.