Latest news with #Vintners'FederationofIreland
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Call for Government to address number of pubs closing
Publicans have called on the Government to introduce measures to address the number of pubs closing in rural areas. A recent report by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland found that rural counties had the highest rate number of pub closures in the last 20 years. Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Colm Ó Mongáin, the CEO of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland Pat Crotty said they are calling for a reduction on excise duty on draught beer. "It's homegrown, we should be supporting it. It is the least damaging of all alcoholic products," he said. "It is the lifeblood of small pubs and the social, cultural, community and tourism things that that are all connected with small rural pubs." 2,100 pubs in Ireland have closed their doors since 2005, according to research by the Drinks Industry of Ireland. Mr Crotty, however, has said that the closure rate of pubs in Ireland is even worse than what has been suggested. "The closure rate is even higher. It's not one in every three and a half days now, it's one in every 2.8 days, which is 20% worse than the headline suggests," he said. "In other words, the trend is getting more severe. It's going to become more critical over time." Mr Crotty said that the Vintners' Federation were proposing a reduction on excise on beer in order to combat the rising cost of keeping a pub open. He accused the Government of "moving the goalposts" with their recent changes to cuts in the drinks industry. "Our argument is that the moving of the goalposts has been done by the Government. "It is the significant change in Government-driven cuts that has caused us to be in the situation where otherwise healthy and viable businesses are now saying there's no future in this," he said. Mr Crotty estimated that the cost of the proposed excise cut to the Exchequer could run as high as €73 million. "The particular excise cut that the Vintners' Federation of Ireland are proposing to help small publicans is of the order of €73 million, which is a tiny fraction of the cost of the VAT change for food operators," he said.
Irish Post
04-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Fine Gael TD says lower VAT rate for hospitality sector will boost small businesses
A FINE GAEL TD has said the proposed 9 per cent VAT rate for the hospitality sector is vital to helping small businesses survive and grow amid a challenging economic climate. Speaking on Sunday, John Clendennen described small businesses as 'the backbone of the Irish economy' as he reiterated his support for the reduced rate for food and catering services. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe revealed in February that he hoped to announce the 9 per cent rate on budget day for the food and catering sector, where he believes it can have the biggest impact. However, he said the overall cost of such a move would be €675m per year. The government previously cut the rate to 9 per cent between November 2020 and August 2023 at a cost of more than €1.3bn. Deputy Clendennen, who is also president of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, said the proposed VAT rate 'would make a huge difference' to the hospitality sector. "Having worked in the hospitality sector I know how important it is to support our small and medium businesses in our towns, villages, and cities," he said. "Small businesses are the backbone of the Irish economy. They are at the heart of every community, fuelling our local economies, and providing good quality, stable jobs. 'Struggling to keep afloat' "Fine Gael has been unwavering in its support for Irish businesses. My colleagues Minister Peter Burke and Minister Paschal Donohoe want to ensure we help the hospitality sector deal with the ever-increasing costs of doing business and the ever-diminishing margins. "Minister Burke is bringing forward a Competitiveness Action Plan with the Tánaiste Simon Harris before Summer, which will contain measures to support our SME sector. "The government has done a lot to support businesses, but we need to do more and having the 9 per cent VAT rate would make a huge difference for the hospitality sector. "Businesses across the country are facing challenges, that's why we decided to pause the increase of statutory sick days from five to seven and delayed the introduction of a living wage until 2029. "We can't ignore that there are cafes, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses across Ireland that are struggling to keep afloat. "Fine Gael has always backed business, especially our small and medium-sized enterprises and we want to see them thrive with a 9 per cent VAT rate." See More: Budget, John Clendennen, Paschal Donohoe
