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Hoteliers Call for Urgent Change in Direction to Safeguard Tourism and Hospitality

Ten Key Policy Priorities to Stave Off Growing Commercial Crisis within the Sector – Irish Hotels Federation General Election Manifesto

  

On Tuesday, 12^th November 2024 – The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) called on all political parties and candidates in the general election to commit to policy measures aimed at staving off the commercial crisis facing the wider tourism and hospitality industry, particularly food service businesses. Launching its manifesto, IHF President Michael Magner states that an urgent change in direction is now required to ensure the future viability of the industry as Ireland’s largest indigenous employer.

 

Tourism and hospitality businesses are facing enormous challenges as a result of unsustainable cost increases, notes Mr Magner. These have largely been driven by the Government’s own economic policies. At the same time, there has been a worrying failure to offset these increases and provide meaningful measures to assist struggling business within the sector. These businesses are the backbone of our tourism economy, supporting over 270,000 livelihoods the length and breadth of the country, some 70% of which are outside of Dublin.

 

Mr Magner states: “Our message to all political parties and candidates in the general election is that tourism and hospitality should not be taken for granted. Much more needs to be done to safeguard and prioritise our industry. Tourism and hospitality must be at the heart of the next Government’s economic policy supported by targeted measures to ensure our industry lives up to its full potential as a major engine for growth and economic prosperity, both nationally and regionally.”

 

“A key priority for our sector is the need to tackle the cost of doing business, which is getting out of control and posing an enormous risk to the sector. There has been an alarming deterioration in the commercial model of hospitality food services in particular as a result of the increased VAT rate coupled with a raft of Government-imposed large cost increases. Businesses are now at a cross-roads requiring immediate action by the next Government.”

 

“We are calling for a commitment to reinstate the 9% rate of VAT for hospitality food businesses, which have been disproportionately impacted over the last 18 months. Other sector-specific measures are also required including a Local Authority commercial rates waiver and employers’ PRSI rebates to offset the impact of policies that place labour-intensive industries such as tourism and hospitality at a disadvantage.”

 

The IHF is calling on all political parties and candidates in the general election to commit to the following key policy initiatives including as outlined in our manifesto:

 

• Urgent Review of the Government’s Tourism Policy Approach – change in direction required to put the tourism and hospitality industry on a stable footing before it is too late.

 

• 9% VAT for food services – reinstatement of the 9% rate of VAT for hospitality food service businesses, which are struggling to deal with exceptionally high operating costs.

 

• Cost of doing business – targeted measures to improve the overall cost competitiveness within the economy over the next five years

 

• Air Access – removing the passenger cap for Dublin Airport coupled with a wider focus on enhancing regional air access and connectivity.

 

• Training & Skills – increased funding for hospitality training and skills development through the National Training Fund.

 

• Tourism Marketing & Development – significant increase in investment in tourism marketing and development to support the recovery and long-term growth

 

• Sustainability – targeted funding for a national hotel retrofitting scheme to reduce carbon footprint throughout the sector in line with Ireland’s climate action goals.

 

• Access to Finance – full review of State-supported financing solutions for business development should be carried out to identify ways to further increase access to finance.

 

• Tips and Gratuities – tax exemption for tips and gratuities paid to employees.

 

• Dedicated Department for Tourism and Hospitality – a dedicated Department of Tourism & Hospitality with a seat at the cabinet to maximise growth and employment potential

 

Eight Closure Orders Served on Food Business in August

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that eight Closure Orders were served on food businesses during the month of August for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Closure Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).  

 

Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:   

• Jazz Chinese Restaurant, Coolock Village Shopping Centre, Beechpark Avenue, Coolock, Dublin 5 

• Freshly Chopped & Neat Pizza (Restaurant/Cafe), First Floor, 13-15 Main Street, Fairview, Dublin 3 

Six Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:  

• Letterkenny Kebab and Pizza/East Ocean (take away), 61 Port Road, Letterkenny, Donegal 

• Baalbec Take Away (Closed area: The outdoor area used to accommodate the potato peeling and preparation), Sarsfield Street, Kilmallock, Limerick 

• Al Huda Grocery (retailer), 72A Summerhill, Dublin 1 

• Cafe India,16 Harbour Street, Tullamore, Offaly 

• Divine Catering (domestic kitchen), Farnamurry Close, Ballygraigue Road, Nenagh, Tipperary 

• Akanchawa Honey Pot (restaurant/café), Unit 39, Coolmine Industrial Estate, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 

Some of the reasons for the Closure Orders in August include: evidence of ongoing rodent infestation with droppings found in kitchen area; failure to implement adequate pest control measures; dead cockroaches found in traps and flies in the deli area; inadequate regular and thorough cleaning; uncovered bins filled with food waste; a build-up of dirt on used catering equipment and on the floor; a lack of basic hygiene provisions, such as hot water, soap, and drying facilities for staff; food not stored at correct temperature; a lack of food allergen information available for customers; failure to implement an appropriate food safety culture. 

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, warned that there is a legal responsibility for food businesses to act responsibly and ensure the food they provide to their customers is safe to eat.  

“Whilst most food businesses follow high food safety standards and are compliant with food law, inspectors continue to encounter cases where consumers’ health is put at risk through a failure to comply with food safety and basic hygiene requirements. These non-compliances are avoidable, and we have zero tolerance for any food business that does not comply with its legal requirements. Food businesses have a legal requirement to ensure the safe supply of food and it is unacceptable that basic procedures like handwashing, cleaning, robust pest control measures and storing food correctly at the appropriate temperature are not being properly followed. Food businesses must do better.” 

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month from the date the Order was lifted.   

Over Half of Irish Consumers Claim to Purchase Sustainably Produced Foods Products in Weekly Grocery Shop

With a third of all global emissions coming from the food system, effort is needed to respond to this climate change challenge. Over half of Irish consumers asked (51%) * now claim to actively look for and purchase sustainably produced food products with almost nine in 10 (87%) believing producers should be supported to be as sustainable as possible. 

 

The findings* are revealed in research as part of Nestlé’s KitKat Breaks for Good campaign in Ireland spotlighting the importance of quality production and the integral role of cocoa farming families in the iconic KitKat chocolate treat.  

 

To date, over 30,000 cocoa-farming families are supported through Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Programme** which builds on longstanding work of the Nestlé Cocoa Plan. The global sustainability initiative aims to close the living income gap of cocoa farming families through four main pillars – school enrolment, good agricultural practices, agroforestry and income diversification. By 2030, it aims to reach an estimated 160,000 cocoa farming families in Nestlé’s supply chain. 

 

The research findings show a difference among the generations with sustainability front of mind for almost half (48%) of 25-34-year-olds. It finds that this cohort attribute greater enjoyment of a favourite chocolate treat with how sustainably it is produced- in contrast to a little over a fifth (21%) of 65+ year olds. Those aged 18-35 years (63%) said the provenance of items in their grocery basket was important, in contrast to over one in 10 of 45-54 years (16%). 

 

A little over seven in 10 (71%) say they take small, practical, everyday actions such as seeking out ethically sourced goods as part of personal environmental commitments. 

 

Maria McKenna, Confectionery Marketing Manager, Nestlé Ireland said,  

 

“For Irish people it’s clear from the research findings that trying to be a more “conscious consumer” is front-of-mind. The research shows that Irish people are attuned to the impact of committing to taking sustainability actions daily and how this contributes in a positive manner to the environment. Over eight in 10 Irish consumers (85%) believe that being aware and informed of the environmental sustainability of the products they use is a key element of living sustainably. 

 

“Consumers also want brands to support producers to be as sustainable as possible.  At Nestlé UK&I, we are using fully traceable and responsibly sourced cocoa in all our Nestlé Ireland chocolate brands as part of the Income Accelerator Programme, something we know resonates strongly with our consumers. 

 

“Building on the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, the innovative new Income Accelerator programme has been created to further address the challenges faced by cocoa-farming communities, with a clear focus on closing the living income gap of cocoa-farming families. At the same time, it strives to advance better agriculture practices and promote gender equality, empowering women as agents for positive change in their communities. The programme provides incentives for cocoa-farming families to enrol their children in school, implement good agricultural practices and engage in agroforestry activities.  

 

“KitKat Breaks for Good highlights the importance of supporting cocoa producing farm families at source, working together to continuously raise the bar for one of our most important ingredients. 

 

“Among the many wonderful things about KitKat, aside from its delicious taste, is the fact that it is associated with having a well-deserved break. Irish people can sit back and enjoy it even more knowing that the cocoa-farming families who play a key role in its production are supported to improve their incomes and the sustainability of production.”

 

* Conducted by Empathy Research through an online survey across a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+ July 2024. 

**Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Programme is supporting cocoa farming families by closing the living income gap of farm families and reducing child labour risk. Since 2022, it has supported over 10,000 cocoa farming families in Cóte d’Ivoire and Ghana and this year is scaling up to reach 30,000. By 2030, it will reach an estimated 160,000 cocoa-farming families in Nestlé’s cocoa supply chain. 

 

There are four key parts to the Income Accelerator programme:  

1. School enrolment: financial incentives to families for enrolling all children between six and 16 in school

2. Good agricultural practices: such as pruning, which increase crop productivity

3. Agroforestry: performing agroforestry activities to increase climate resilience, like planting shade trees

4. Diversified incomes: cocoa-farming families will receive mobile payment empowering women and encouraging additional sources of income such as growing other crops, beekeeping or processing other products like cassava.  

Read more here: Nestle’s Income Accelerator Programme 

Uisce Éireann Launches New Text Alerts Service Available to Customers Across 1.6 Million Households

Uisce Éireann has launched a brand-new free-to-use Text Alerts service which will provide water supply updates and information to customers across 1.6 million households. Research carried out by IPSOS B&A* on behalf of Uisce Éireann shows that almost three quarters of its customers want to hear about water services with over half of businesses indicating they are interested in being regularly notified.

The text alert system will be the first time that all of Uisce Éireann’s customers will be able to sign up and receive notifications for their area. The service provides customers with details of supply interruptions that are expected to last longer than four hours. It will also include details on planned and unplanned outages and boil water notices should they be needed to protect public health.

Previously only vulnerable customers and business customers have been able to avail of a Text Alerts service, with the service now extending to all. A new easy to use process means customers can quickly sign up by inputting their Eircode and mobile number via the Uisce Éireann website water.ie.

The text alerts to all customers build on communications already in place and the need to support customers is clear. Data from Uisce Éireann shows it responded and managed over 12,000 planned and unplanned outages in 2023 with over 90% resolved in under 24 hours.

Ensuring customers stay informed is a key focus and this service further enhances Uisce Éireann’s commitment to engage with its customers in an effective and timely manner. The new supports build on services already in place including, 24/7 contact centre, media releases, stakeholder communications, social media @IWcare and a dedicated online outage portal on water.ie.

 

Geoffrey Bourke, Head of Customer Operations at Uisce Éireann said: 

 

“As Uisce Éireann carries out its day-to-day operational work and maintenance alongside a billion-euro worth of capital investment each year, we are aware that these works can have short-term impacts on water services to our customers. This Text Alerts service along with our current supports including the dedicated online outage portal on water.ie means homes and businesses are kept fully up to date on what to expect and when.

 

“We are supporting our customers with timely, accurate information which helps to keep all customers up to date on outages to the water supply network. 

 

“In the past year, our figures show that we had more than two million interactions with customers via a range of channels including phone calls, texts and emails.

 

“From our research, while over half of customers are aware of who to contact in the event of a water outage, we are committed to ensuring that all are fully aware and have information provided in an ease of access manner. 

 

“We are confident that the roll-out of this new service will play a crucial role in driving even more awareness of our work in communities across Ireland to deliver a clean, safe and reliable water supply. The service is easy to use, and I encourage people to avail of it by following the registration steps through water.ie.”

Pictured broadcaster Lucy Kennedy and Geoffrey Bourke, Head of Customer Operations, Uisce Éireann

Research is from IPSOS B&A Q2 2024

• Business. The survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of 360 business owners by telephone.

• General Public. The survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults each quarter. Interviewing was conducted face-to-face.

 

Olé Olé Top of the Cheer Chart for Irish Sports Fans

Olé Olé remains the top tune for Irish sports fans with over six in every ten (66%) * citing it as the go-to song when cheering on their favourite team or athlete, according to new research released by Nestlé Cereals Ireland, ‘Official Breakfast Partner to Paralympics Ireland’. The Fields of Athenry comes in a close second (59%) and the Tina Turner classic Simply the Best (55%) takes bronze in the line-up of the nation’s favourite sports anthems.

In advance of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Paris (Wednesday August 28^th) a rallying call has been issued to the nation to “Bring the Cheer” for Team Ireland as they put it all on the line in the pursuit of glory at one of the world’s biggest sports events. This time around athletes will be able to enjoy the invaluable support of family, friends and fans cheering them on from the stands, in stark contrast to the previous games in Tokyo with Covid-19 preventing attendance.

The unwavering love of Irish fans for their team or athlete knows no bounds with over a quarter (26%) admitting to naming their pet and over one in 10 (16%) naming their child after a favourite team/athlete while 7 percent have dyed their hair in honour of their sporting idols.

Demonstrating the importance of support, over half (51%) of survey respondents claimed it provided energy and momentum while four in every ten (41%) attributed a sense of recognition to support. Women scored higher than their male counterparts, with five in every 10 (53%) citing the personal energy boost in contrast to over four in 10 men (49%).

Interestingly, those aged 18-24 said that seeing an Irish athlete on the sporting stage had a hugely positive impact on their own sense of motivation (35%) while over a fifth (21%) of people aged 55-64 claimed to feel inspired!

To celebrate the partnership, specially created cereal boxes, featuring Nestlé Cereals Ireland Ambassadors para-table tennis champion Colin Judge and para-cyclist Richael Timothy are in-store nationwide. In a first for the brand, the boxes also carry a message of support to the team ‘as Gaeilge’.

 

Jennifer Walsh, Country Category Manager, Nestlé Cereals said: 

“Irish fans really do love to go that extra mile when it comes to supporting their team or athlete. Whether it is belting out ‘Ole Ole’ from the stands or in front of the tv to naming their pets and children, it demonstrates the sense of passion and excitement for our sports stars and the sense of anticipation that grips the nation when big sporting occasions come around. 

“With a little over twenty-four hours to the start of the Games and with the athletes now in their final preparation, the importance of support in the run-up to the games and at the games is more important than ever.   

“Our survey demonstrates how support can contribute to a greater sense of energy and momentum. As our Irish athletes will enjoy the power of in-person support in Paris, we hope that each of them will be spurred on with the support of Irish fans ringing in their ears and that it will give them that extra push. Hopefully, there will be plenty of chants of ‘Ole Ole’ ringing around Paris in the weeks ahead.

“As the official ‘Official Breakfast Partner to Paralympics Ireland’ we are delighted to play our part and pledge our support to Team Ireland for Paris 2024. Our athletes have been training and planning for this moment for many years and now with only a few days to go it is more important than ever that we ‘Bring the Cheer’ and power Team Ireland to glory.”

 

Stephen McNamara, CEO Paralympics Ireland said: 

“With just days to go until the Paralympic Games officially begin, the excitement is definitely rising within Team Ireland. What makes this Games even more special is the fact that family, friends, and fans from all over Ireland can once again be in the crowd to cheer on our athletes. It is that support that will be the driving force behind Team Ireland.”

 

Enda McNulty, High Performance Coach said that the research confirmed his lifelong belief that support, and cheer positively impacts performance.  

“It really demonstrates the power of support and the energy it provides when you see that over half of those surveyed highlight the incredible momentum that comes from being cheered on and supported. It provides a significant boost, both physically and emotionally. 

“We can also see the many ways that sport binds us and brings us together- whether it is watching together or joining in song. It’s no surprise that “Olé Ole” is top of the sporting charts- the soundtrack to so many memorable Irish sporting moments. In fact, some of my earliest memories were supporting Jack’s Army, and some of my fondest memories were supporting Sean Kelly, Jason Smyth and Katie Taylor. 

“In these moments we all become one huge tribe of Irish people supporting our heroes. The research confirms what we as a nation have always known; that we are at our greatest when we bring our best energy in support of those who represent us.”

*Pictured Nestlé Cereals Ireland Ambassadors para-table tennis athlete Colin Judge and para-cyclist Richael Timothy

16 Enforcement Orders Served On Food Businesses in July

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that 16 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during the month of July for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).  

 

Three Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:   

• Boba Bar (restaurant/café), 139 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 

• Hartigans (public house), 100 Leeson Street Lower, Dublin 2 

• Duud (retailer), Unit 2 Pinewood House, Huntstown Road, Huntstown, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 

Nine Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:  

• The Garden @ The Shannon Bar, Termonbarry, Roscommon 

• Fayrouz Restaurant, 117 Cork Street, Dublin 8 

• Riverhouse Café, 1 Castle Street, Cahir, Tipperary 

• *Eurasia Supermarket, Unit 1, Fonthill Retail Park, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 

• Evergreen Retail Limited (retailer), Unit 1, Fonthill Retail Park, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 

• Humeera Traders Limited (retailer), Unit 1, Fonthill Retail Park, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 

• *Spice Village Indian Street Food (retailer), Unit 1, Fonthill Retail Park, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 

• *Eurasia Supermarket (Closed area: First floor food storage hall & attached kitchen area only), Unit 1, Fonthill Retail Park, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 

• *Spice Village Indian Street Food (Closed area – First floor food storage hall & attached kitchen area only) (retailer), Unit 1, Fonthill Retail Park, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 

Three Prohibition Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on: 

• Baltic Market (retailer), 2 Dominic Street, Drogheda, Louth 

• Goa Indian Spice Kitchen Ltd (takeaway), Unit 103, St Patrick’s Woollen Mills, Douglas, Cork 

• Select Asia (retailer), Unit 103, St Patrick’s Woollen Mills, Douglas, Cork 

One Prohibition Order was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on: 

• Quality Foods (butcher shop), 59-61 Dublin Street, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin  

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in July include: evidence of ongoing cockroach activity, which led to the serving of six Closure Orders on food businesses at one location; live cockroaches found in equipment and on traps in the kitchen area; multiple holes and gaps in the walls along with rodent droppings; a rodent carcass in a snap trap; failure to implement adequate pest control measures; failure to implement an appropriate food safety culture; food with either expired, missing or altered use-by dates; food not thawed safely; food items stored at unsafe temperatures; inadequate regular and thorough cleaning throughout the premises; equipment like meat slicers congealed with fat and stale food debris; continuous failure to maintain consistent cleaning standards; filthy cleaning equipment and cleaning cloths. 

 

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, emphasised that compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations should be of the highest priority for all food businesses.  

 

“Filthy premises, unsafe food storage and inadequate pest control measures are once again the primary reasons for this month’s Enforcement Orders. These violations demonstrate a total disregard for food safety requirements and highlight the ongoing failure of some food businesses to maintain basic, consistent cleaning practices, and this failure poses a significant risk to public health. Food businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of the food they produce, distribute or sell by maintaining proper storage temperatures, ensuring staff are properly trained, having stringent hygiene practices and ensuring their food businesses are fully pest proofed. Achieving a strong food safety culture requires continuous and consistent training for all team members”. 

 

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month from the date the Order was lifted.