Sligo Councillor questions Department of finance’s stance on Hospitality & Tourism sector.

A Sligo Councillor says that she is in agreement with a recent claims by the Irish Hotels federation which claimed that the Department of finance has turned its back on the Hospitality and Tourism industry in this Country.  Data from the Central Statistics Office earlier this year suggested that the number of visitors here is continuing to fall. Recently it emerged that the government is likely to delay the VAT cut for the hospitality industry until the middle of next year. It is also possible that the lower VAT rate of 9 per cent will be extended only to hospitality and not to accommodation. Sligo Council Councillor Ann Higgins says that one of the main drivers of the North West's local economy is under serious pressure.