This article is from page 18 of the 2014-10-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
CLARE businessman, Brian O’Neill believes he will be in a position to take on more staff over the next 12 months as a result of last week’s budget.
With the county’s business community giving the budget a guarded welcome last week, the Ennis hostel and cafe owners believes that the budget will help restore customer spending in Clare and help small business right across the county.
“We have 35 employees here at the Rowan Tree and each of them are waiting to see exactly what benef t they will have in the budget. But it seems that most people will have a few more euro to spend in their pocket each week. From an employee perspective it seems like this is the beginning of turn in the economy. It’s all about getting people spending money again,” he said.
“The 9 per cent tax rate for tourism will help to retain jobs right around the country. It’s been a very successful policy, creating 23,000 jobs directly and indirectly since it was introduced. when it was introduced we cut our prices straight away in the cafe bar and that led directly to the creation of two new jobs in out company in Ennis.”
With tourism number coming through Shannon Airport continuing to rise, Brian O’Neill believes that increase activity in the tourism sector will drive employment in related areas in the months ahead.
“If you look at Shannon Airport and what has happened down there, there has been a sea-change down there since independence and everyone in Ennis will have seen more tourists around the town during the summer. That has brought a sense of positivity to people, that has lifted people spirits,” he said.
“The vast majority of money spent in the tourism and hospitality trade goes straight back into the local economy – whether that is more sausages bought from the local butch- er or more staff taken on. So more Clare families are back in work, more revenue comes back into local households and more local people with money to spend. That is where the big win will be for County Clare.
“There has been a little lift in the restaurant side, people are starting to eat out a little more, and there has been a big lift in the accommodation side of it. I think that is going to continue next year so my outlook is very positive for addition jobs being created in the next 12 months.”