Sinn Féin spokesperson on Tourism, Media and Sport Imelda Munster TD has said it will come as a relief to the hospitality sector that the government has finally announced changes to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).

The Louth TD has added that supports must be reviewed in January and extended if existing restrictions remain in place into the New Year and beyond.

Teachta Munster said:

“The sector has been calling for these changes for weeks now, and it’s high time that they received clarity on the supports that are available, given the impact that ongoing restrictions are having on their businesses and on workers in the sector.

“The effect of the pandemic on tourism and hospitality in the last two years almost has been absolutely devastating.

“We need to ensure that the EWSS and CRSS schemes can be tailored to the ongoing needs of the sector in 2022, in order to support businesses and workers to continue to need support.

“This has been a long slog for hospitality, and it may not be over yet. These businesses need to be supported for as long as restrictions are in place.”