Seasonal tourism sector under threat in western region - TD

A TD has raised concerns for the seasonal tourism sector across the west.

Deputy Èamon Ò Cuìv said under the rules of the temporary wage subsidy scheme, if a person was not employed in January, February and March, there is no entitlement to support through the scheme for workers who had never worked in those months but rather worked in later months of the year and earned their living that way.

He explained: "As well as a sectoral effect, this has caused a major geographic effect, where a disproportionate piece of the economy in places on the west coast of Ireland depend on this seasonal tourism.

"These are places like Daingean or Killarney even up the west coast through County Clare, into County Galway through Clifden. Connemara and the islands.

"We can then go up through County Mayo to Donegal. The reality is that unless immediate action is taken, many of these industries and businesses in the hospitality sectors and all the spin-off enterprise supplying them might not survive.

"That is not through any fault of their own but through a lack of support."