Limerick travel agents join national bid to preserve jobs

LIMERICK travel agents have joined a national campaign in a desperate plea to save 3,000 jobs in the industry.

Linda McNamara of Newcastle West firm Ace Travel, is urging the public to get behind an online petition, saying that her sector has not been supported by government through the Covid-19 lockdown.

So far, almost 5,000 people have signed a Change.org petition urging the government to change tack.

“We were the first hit and worst hit business in the pandemic,” Ms McNamara said, “Our pleas for help to the Government have been ignored so far. The supports  they have announced to date are inappropriate for a business that has been handing out cash refunds to customers for the past six months and are likely to be doing so for another nine months,” she said.

All this comes as travel to the majority of countries from Ireland remains advised against, with only a limited number on a green list.

It’s meant refunds to customers ​have been a fact of life for the industry.

“​Our companies' retained reserves have been almost wiped out in keeping it operating and servicing the refunds for our clients, pending some meaningful assistance coming from our government,” Ms McNamara added.

As of this week, the change in the wage subsidy support from €350 down to €203 will effectively put 3,000 people nationwide out of work.

“We need to have the wage subsidy retained and to get a grant for our industry to help us to keep our doors open and save jobs. The supports announced to date are not effective nor suitable for an industry going through such devastation. We feel the government just do not understand what a micro-business is and have therefore designed supports for an entirely different type of business,” she said.

Ms McNamara argues small business owners ​in the small business sector are “despondent” and are pleading with the public to get behind their cause.

“Our experience to date is that the Government will not listen and do not understand the effect their non-essential travel ban has had on our businesses as it has effectively stopped us trading. Young Irish people, with mortgages, creche fees, utility bills are being made redundant in their hundreds already. Soon to be thousands.

“Many are jobs in small towns and villages that will be impossible to replace. We have good forward business but need to get to Easter of next year but without tailored supports from the Government this will not be possible,” she concluded.

The online petition can be viewed here