IHF Calls For Retention Of Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has called on the government to retain the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) that is currently scheduled to conclude in mid-June, which is before many businesses, including hotels, can reopen.

IHF president Elaina Fitzgerald Kane said that while the current employment supports are very welcome, they must be retained until the government restrictions on physical distancing and mass gathering are lifted.

Fitzgerald Kane made the above statement in response to the publication of the latest TWSS figures by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. At present, 90% of hotels across the country are closed while the majority of the 260,000 people employed in tourism and hospitality prior to the crisis are currently laid off.

“Vital”

Fitzgerald Kane stated, “Employment supports are vital for the road to recovery for businesses including those in tourism and hospitality, which have been devastated by the COVID-19 crisis. Tourism can play a strong role in Ireland’s economic recovery, but it requires support to do so, including employment initiatives such as the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.  However, its continuation must be aligned with the recovery of the tourism sector to have a meaningful impact on the preservation of employment levels across the industry.

“This is the greatest health crisis in living memory and we appreciate that significant resources are being committed to address the overriding issue of public health. However, the health and well-being of all citizens is intertwined with the economy, and people will need livelihoods after the crisis is over, including the 260,000 people working in tourism and hospitality.”

View the orginal article by Dave Simpson on Hospitality Ireland.