'Support needed to ensure future sustainability' of Tipperary's hair and beauty sector

The Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation (HABIC) has this week written to the Government to highlight the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the sector across every county in Ireland, including Tipperary, where there are 903 people employed in 368 hair and beauty salons. 

It outlines the key supports needed to ensure the future sustainability of the sector, where many businesses are challenged to remain as a viable going concern and which are further challenged by a huge increase in black market trading.

The impact on trading and the many small businesses in the sector throughout Ireland has been very serious, says the confederation.

Salons and operators have not been allowed to open yet in 2021 and in 2020 were closed for 22 weeks in total, almost half of the year. The year on year comparison for 2020 against the previous years’ trading shows a stark impact of the virus.

HABIC has 2,500 members throughout Ireland and overall there are 9,031 businesses in the sector.

Economist Jim Power has produced a report for HABIC that highlights the impact of the pandemic on the sector and the numerous measures required to ensure it is sustained into the future. 

The economic value or GDP contribution of the sector in 2019 was €2,624 million, reduced to €1,740 million in 2020.

In 2019 the industry provided 30,800 jobs and 18,480 indirectly, with these numbers reduced to 27,000 direct jobs and 16,200 indirect jobs in 2020, and decreasing.

Margaret O’Rourke Doherty, CEO of HABIC, says “while we recognise public health and safety is the priority, our sector has been disproportionally penalised. 

"Since the outbreak of Covid-19, and from a total of 6.8 million services, there have only been seven outbreaks identified in the sector. We have outlined a number of measures that will have the dual impact maintaining a viable sector and at the same time protecting taxpayers in the face of a burgeoning black market trade.”

 “Our members account for thousands of employees, with a significant presence in every town and village in Ireland who provide an essential service to the community.

"This is a crucial time for the sector and the communities who we provide our services to. It is essential that we are allowed to properly trade into the future,” she said.