The Vintners Federation of Ireland’s calling on the Government to act to prevent publicans having to close due to escalating costs of doing business.
Members are meeting in Limerick today for their annual general conference where they’re seeking a 40% rebate on the excise charged to draught products sold in pubs as well as a level playing ground when it comes to any reduction in VAT.
They say publicans who do not serve food are at a serious commercial disadvantage unlike their colleagues who do and could be in a position to avail of a reduced VAT rate if the government moves to reduce it as expected.
CEO of the Vintners Federation, Kilkenny man Pat Crotty said all publicans must be treated equally noting; “The Government has accepted that it has a part to play in fixing the hospitality industry, it proposes to do so by changing the VAT on food but for the vast majority of pubs that don’t serve food this is no help at all so we’re staying the Government has to count them in the equation”.
He adds; “We have a kind of existential problem at the minute, we have falling turnover while we have raging cost increases; so that’s a perfect storm from any business point of view and any business person will understand that, something has to give and businesses that are already with their backs to the wall are just going to end up falling over the cliff”.
