Sir, – With reference to the tax reduction for the hospitality sector in Budget 2026: why should one sector get special treatment and others have to pay for it?

If the people want their products they will buy them, if not get out or change the product or the marketing of same.

I, with no business experience and no family history, ran a successful joinery company for 50 years, giving good secure and pensionable employment and then I passed it on to my sons. Within that time I had to change the products and direction of the company many times.

I had to keep abreast of modern trends and what the customer wanted. I learned many things, mostly the hard way, over the years: one was to look after your clients, treat them right and give them what they want. If they are treated well the cost will not be an overriding factor. Also, take care of your employees and they will take care of you and the company.

It is completely unfair that one sector should get better treatment than others; I have faced more recessions and got through them without looking for any help from anyone and the people running these places should pay attention to their business and not look to others to save them. – Yours, etc,

LIAM KANE,

William Kane & Co,

Baldoyle industrial Estate,

Dublin 13.

Sir, – There has been a lot of criticism of the budget decision to reduce the VAT rate for the hospitality sector from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent at a cost to the exchequer in a full year of €681 million.

For the ordinary citizen/taxpayer, two questions arise: firstly, will this concession result in a reduction in prices for the consumer? A recent analysis from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has suggested that this is unlikely.

A much more certain outcome from the budget is the fact that most taxpayers will be worse off in the coming year and will be less likely to visit restaurants or pubs. Accordingly, the industry will be no better off.

So one must ask the question, what was the point?