
Trump tariffs could cause further threat to Irish pubs, with warning of 1,000 further closures in next decade
Digi – the umbrella organisation for the wider drinks and hospitality industry – has called for the Government to use the upcoming Budget to introduce a 10pc cut in excise duty, which it says was the second highest in the EU.
Study author Professor Tony Foley said: 'This report reveals a pattern of pub closures across Ireland, particularly in rural Ireland in recent years.
'The addition of profound economic uncertainty through US trade tariffs and reduced levels of inbound tourism further threaten the financial foundations of family owned pubs across the country. In the absence of Government intervention, we are likely to see a further 600 to 1,000 pubs close over the coming decade.'
Between 2005 and 2024 the number of publican licences fell from 8,617 to 6,498, a drop of 24.6pc. On average 128 pubs closed each year between 2019 and last year.
The rate of closures is highest in rural counties, with Limerick, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Laois, Longford and Mayo recording closure rates of over 30pc between 2005 and last year.
All 26 counties experienced pub closures between 2005 to last year. The highest decrease was in Limerick (-37.2pc), followed by Offaly (-34.1pc), Cork (-32.7pc), Roscommon (-32.3pc), Tipperary (-32.0pc), Laois (-30.6pc), Longford (-30.1pc) and Westmeath (-30.0pc).
The lowest decrease was in Dublin with a drop of -1.7pc, followed by Meath with a decrease of -9.5pc. Wicklow had a decrease of 10.8pc and all other counties saw a 13pc or greater decrease.
The Government could improve commercial viability overnight by cutting excise by 10pc
A number of pubs that shut in recent months include Lizzie Keogh's in Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, The Hole in the Wall in Drogheda, Co Louth, The Living Room, off Dublin's O'Connell Street, and Katie Daly's in Gorey, Co Wexford.
The study also referenced research by the Restaurants Association of Ireland which found that over 600 restaurants, cafes and other food hospitality businesses closed in the 12 months from September 2023.
ADVERTISEMENT
Another 150 closed in the first three months of this year .
Digi secretary Donall O'Keeffe said: 'More than 100 pubs are closing every year in Ireland, due in large part to the high costs imposed by the State. Without immediate intervention, up to 1,000 more pubs will close for the last time, leaving their communities without a vital community and tourism hub. Once closed, such pubs rarely reopen.
'The Government could improve commercial viability overnight by cutting excise by 10pc.
'With Irish consumption of alcohol having fallen to average EU levels and likely to continue dropping, it's no longer justifiable that pubs should be faced with the second-highest excise rates in Europe. This is on top of a hefty 23pc Vat rate.
'The time for the Government to act is now, before it is too late.'
Digi said without immediate action, many villages and small towns will soon lose their last remaining pub which it feels would be a devastating blow to the economic and social fabric of communities.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Times
24 minutes ago
- Irish Times
New legal aid support system recommended by review group
A new support system for civil legal aid has been recommended in the final report by an independent review group. However, before that more immediate reforms including raising the disposable income eligibility threshold for civil legal aid from €18,000 to €23,500 as soon as possible has been called for. Two reports from a majority and minority of the review body, set up in 2022, come in the wake of a warning from Legal Aid Board chief executive Joan Crawford that the Department of Justice lacks the resources to meet the mounting demands on its services. The reports were submitted to the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan in April, who acknowledged the review group did not reach consensus on all matters. The minority report maintains the recommendations of the majority fail to meaningfully address the 'crisis' in Ireland's system of public legal assistance and, even if implemented, will mean people on a minimum or living wage are likely to remain ineligible for civil legal aid. The majority of the group recommend that the figure used to calculate the current income portion of a contribution is revised upwards from the current level of €11,500 to €14,500. The majority also recommended that users with available income of less than €14,500 should pay no contribution. A minority view within the group was that contributions should be tapered throughout the income distribution to effectively target available support with measures to avoid hardship where necessary. The review group also recommended that a Legal Aid Oversight Body be established to oversee the delivery of the services supported by the future civil legal aid support system. This would ensure 'quality, consistency, availability and adaptability of the system to meet the legal needs of the Irish public over time'. It envisages that services under the future system should encompass more than the legal representation or legal advice services on offer through the Civil Legal Aid Scheme. Mr O'Callaghan said there was 'much to be considered' in the work undertaken by the review group. 'There are both short-term issues that require attention and long-term recommendations that need further consideration and engagement,' he said. 'I will now give consideration to the recommendations with my officials and I will bring proposals for reform to Government in due course.' Chair of the review group, retired Chief Justice Frank Clarke, said it marked the first comprehensive examination of the civil legal aid scheme in nearly 50 years. 'Setting out a principle-based, strategic framework for a modern system of civil legal aid in Ireland, its recommendations offer a clear roadmap to transform how the State supports access to justice,' he said. 'The radical reforms proposed represent a critical shift in how legal support is understood and delivered, laying the foundations for a more responsive and user-focused system for the future.'


Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Betting tax increase in budget could raise €53m while higher vehicle levies also examined in tax strategy papers
Boosting betting tax in the budget would raise up to an extra €53 million a year for the State, according to Department of Finance officials. The tax take from betting almost doubled to €95 million in 2019 from €52 million the previous year, after the Government increased the rate on all bets placed in the State to 2 per cent from 1 per cent. Increasing the rate by 1 per cent would add a further €53 million a year, while adding 0.5 per cent would yield another €26.5 million, the department's Tax Strategy Group (TSG) report states. Government would collect a further €800,000 if it increased the tax on the commission earned by betting exchanges, which allow customers to bet against each other, to 30 per cent from 25 per cent, the report added. READ MORE But it cautions that those estimates depend on 'the betting market continuing as normal in 2025 and 2026″ with neither bookies nor their customers changing their behaviour. [ Income tax dilemma for Government as VAT cuts could cost €1bn Opens in new window ] 'It is understood the burden of such additional tax increases would mainly impact large bookmaking firms,' it said. Along with the increase in 2019, the Government introduced relief of €50,000, meant to ease the burden on small independent operators, whose share of the market has shrunk rapidly in recent years. The report suggests increasing this relief to €65,000 should the Government decide to boost the tax rate. However, it adds that Revenue officials argue that this would benefit only a handful of businesses, while it would add to the challenge of getting EU state aid approval for such a move. The report notes that three big businesses dominate the market. Although it does not name them, they are Irish-based giant, Flutter Entertainment, mostly through its subsidiary Paddy Power , Boylesports and UK-based Ladbrokes. A Health Research Report found in 2022 that problem gambling had fallen over the previous eight years, but still hit more than 135,000 lives in the Republic. Revenue figures show that betting is growing, but moving increasingly online. In 2019, customers wagered €28.9 million in cash and €23.5 million digitally, including €1.8 million with betting exchanges. In 2023, digital's share was more than €55 million, of a €102.7 million total, while punters bet €46.6 million in cash. Separately, a 1 per cent increase in the higher rates of Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) is one of the budget options outlined by the TSG papers. It says that if applied across the upper VRT bands – 11 to 20 – covering the price of new and imported used cars, it 'would affect only cars with above-average emissions' and could raise €28 million based on 2024 registrations. The group also suggests increasing the NOx surcharge on new and imported cars by €5 per mg/km, potentially generating another €15.5 million. On Benefit-in-Kind tax (BIK), the paper proposes creating a new zero-emissions category, with rates ranging between 6 and 15 per cent, depending on annual business mileage. A higher VRT rate of 15 per cent is also suggested for vans and light commercial vehicles emitting more than 260g/km of CO2. This would sit above the recently introduced two-band emissions-based VRT system, where the top rate currently stands at 13.3 per cent for vehicles over 120g/km. The TSG notes that future reforms could include emissions-based BIK rates for vans, potentially retaining the current 8 per cent rate for low-emission models, with higher rates for those over a certain CO2 threshold. The latest TSG paper revises a proposal made last year on an additional VRT surcharge based on a vehicle's weight. Modelled on a system currently operated in France and Norway, an additional charge would be imposed on vehicles above a certain weight threshold, with various potential reliefs for the likes of fully-electric or hybrid models. The TSG states: 'It is well documented that the scale of the proposed electrification of the national fleet will entail significant revenue risk, with the growth in EVs expected to erode Exchequer receipts from motor tax, VRT, VAT and fuel excise, particularly if the current tax structures remain unchanged.' It estimates that revenue from taxes on fossil fuel use and related transport will fall by €1 billion by 2030, down from €5.3 billion in 2022.


Irish Post
an hour ago
- Irish Post
Laing O'Rourke welcomes Government green light for Sizewell C nuclear plant project
LAING O'ROURKE has welcomed the British Government's decision this week to go-ahead with plans to build the Sizewell C nuclear power plant. The Irish-founded firm is one of three construction companies signed up to deliver the project in Suffolk, which is being jointly funded by Canadian pension fund La Caisse, UK energy firm Centrica and Amber Infrastructure. On July 22, Britain's Energy Secretary Ed Miliband signed off on the project, which will deliver clean power for the equivalent of six million homes, as well as support 10,000 jobs and create 1,500 apprenticeships once it is operational, which is expected to be in the 2030s. 'It is time to do big things and build big projects in this country again- and today we announce an investment that will provide clean, homegrown power to millions of homes for generations to come,' he said. Plans for the Sizewell C nuclear power plant have been given the green light by the British Government this week 'This government is making the investment needed to deliver a new golden age of nuclear, so we can end delays and free us from the ravages of the global fossil fuel markets to bring bills down for good,' he added. Last month the British Government confirmed it will invest £14.2bn in the project and Laing O'Rourke signed a Programme Alliance Agreement to form a Civil Works Alliance (CWA) with Sizewell C, Balfour Beatty and Bouygues Travaux Publics. All members of the CWA are already working on the near-replica Hinkley Point C project in Somerset. Their work on Sizewell C will include enabling works and earthworks, marine and tunnelling works, main civils works, ancillary works, permanent roads and networks. 'Learnings and verified proof-of-concept practices from the construction of Hinkley Point C will be applied by the CWA to the construction of Sizewell C,' a Laing O'Rourke spokesperson said. The firm's Group Chief Executive, Cathal O'Rourke said they are already planning for Sizewell C. "Laing O'Rourke is already working with our alliance partners to plan for this complex project,' he said in a statement this week. 'We welcome the certainty that this decision brings for the project and are proud to play our part in delivering the next chapter of Britain's clean energy future.' He added: 'We've learned a lot from the work we've done on Hinkley Point C and that experience will power how we deliver this complex project and we are excited to keep working with our partners on this critical project." See More: Ed Miliband, Hinkley Point C, Laing O'Rourke, Sizewell C