Killarney

By Sean Moriarty and Michelle Crean
<h3>Fáilte Ireland Chairman Paul Carty has warned that smaller businesses connected to the tourism industry could be at risk if the Government continue to take more International Protection Applicants into the country.</h3>
Speaking at an international tourism event in Killarney last Saturday night, Mr Carty said one of the things that keeps him awake at night is a concern over the availability of hotel rooms with over 25 percent of rooms around the country already full or not available.
“From a humanitarian point of view, the Government had to do what they did and I commend them and I think they are doing a brilliant job on that but the consequence is the fallout for tourism and particularly pubs, restaurants, visitor attractions, retail and others,” he said.
“They say for every one Euro spent on accommodation, €2.50 is spent on the peripheral businesses.”
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is now accommodating over 75,600 people nationally (over 55,650 Ukrainian, almost 20,000 International Protection Applicants (IPAs)) compared with 8,000 at this time last year according to figures released to the Killarney Advertiser.
There are currently 642 IPAs accommodated in Killarney, 53 of whom are children &#8211; up to and including January 22.
Meanwhile, a DCEDIY spokesperson told the Killarney Advertiser: 
“The Department is aware of some hotels nationwide whose ‘exclusive use’ contracts for IPAs will expire between now and the end of April 2023 resulting in a loss of bed spaces for International Protection Applicants. Discussions are ongoing with hotels to see how loss of beds can be mitigated.”

Tourism chief raises industry concerns

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