Hospitality sector and VAT

Sir, – Since March 13th, there has been a very good reason why I have not booked a hotel break and very rarely eaten out. It’s called Covid-19.

It never had anything to do with the VAT rate of 13.5 per cent.

The newly reduced rate of 9 per cent announced in the Budget now means even less money in the rapidly depleting Government coffers but will not, I suspect, change the motivation of the sizeable number of people who feel similarly disinclined to spend leisure time out and about among people while the pandemic continues to spread. – Yours, etc,

PATRICIA MULKEEN,

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Ballinfull,

Sligo.