The case for pegging the Vat hospitality rate at 9%

If the success of a government is to be gauged by what is happening on the labour market, then the current administration and its immediate predecessor should be judged as successfulm, writes Jim Power.

The economy is now on the verge of the highest level of employment ever achieved and the unemployment level continues to decline. Data released this week showed that the level of unemployment declined by 38,200 in the 12-month period to July and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at just 5.1% of the labour force.