Kilkenny hotelier's bill more than quintuples since 2019, committee told

A hotel in Kilkenny has witnessed their gas bill more than quintuple from what it was in 2019.

This was one of the many observations made during a recent joint committee meeting on challenges facing providers of tourist accommodation in Ireland.

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The comment was made by Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) President Denyse Campbell, who shared the finding with fellow committee members.

“I spoke to a hotelier in County Kilkenny whose gas bill in December 2019 was €9,000 and last December it was €51,000,” she said.

“That is not even a hotel with a leisure centre, and it is the same for electricity.”

Her comments were not met with much surprise by other members of the committee, who emphasised that electricity prices have also increased hugely in recent years.

The IHF President also noted that cost inputs for hospitality businesses have also gone up, including for food and beverage supplies.

“Insurance costs are also an enormous challenge given the severe lack of insurers in the market currently underwriting cover for hospitality businesses,” she added.

“On the consumer side, a major concern for us is the level of financial pressure being experienced as a result of persistently high inflation.”