Hospitality providers across the county are imploring the government to introduce urgent supports for the industry.
It follows a warning from the Restaurants Association of Ireland of a wave of closures across the sector this year.
A flavour of the action from Teach Bia in Ennistymon, as the café and restaurant leaps into full lunchtime flight.
Connie Smith has been running operations at the main street establishment since 2015 and claims that with each passing year, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for small businesses to survive.
The RAI is calling on the government to implement a five point plan for alleviating pressure on the sector, which includes reinstating the 9% VAT rat and introducing a bespoke industry support package for areas suffering from reduced tourism.
For Connie though, recruiting staff has become one of the biggest challenges, in addition to monitoring operating costs and in her role as owner and manager, she admits it’s become impossible to balance work and life commitments.
In just the last six months of 2023, 280 food-led businesses closed their doors for the final time and fears are growing that this trend will continue this year.
Since January 1st, the national minimum wage went up by 12% to €12.70 per hour, which came hot on the heels of the government’s decision to stand down the temporary business energy support scheme last September.
Director of the Ennis Food Emporium, Fionn MacGuiness says that in the current climate businesses cannot say for certain if their doors will be open down the line.
In Lisdoonvarna, a unique additional challenge faces the tourism industry.
The North Clare village is currently hosting almost 1,100 Ukrainian refugees and Asylum Seekers under state contracts in local hotels and this has led to a significant reduction in available bed nights.
Proprietor of the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna, Peter Jackson is warning that while the VAT rate will be the biggest challenge for struggling firms, supports are urgently needed in tourism dependant areas, or the industry could face collapse.
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