Labour target ‘zombie hotels’ in jobs initiative

SO-CALLED “zombie” hotels should be turned over for community use as part of a major effort to rescue Irish tourism from the recession, Labour insisted last night.

A glut of such hotels sprang-up during the property bubble boom and must now be re-directed to other uses if the sector is to get back on its feet, party leader Eamon Gilmore said.

Launching a jobs initiative to try and secure the livelihoods of the 120,000 people employed in tourism, Mr Gilmore called for tax breaks to be given to owners of “zombie” hotels so they could become community centres, nursing homes and other “socially relevant” establishments.