Fears of two-tiered pub trade
The risk of creating a “two-tier” system, which favours pubs serving food over traditional establishments, has been lambasted as one potential outcome of the Government's recently announced Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme.
The opinion was shared by several speakers addressing the May monthly meeting of Cavan County Council, where others made reference to the widening urban-rural divide.
“It's terrible that pubs who don't service food are not supported said Fianna Fáil's Clifford Kelly, responding to a motion initially tabled by his party colleague Aiden Fitzpatrick.
Cllr Fitzpatrick himself received special dispensation to have his motion to discuss the matter bumped up the agenda given its imminence.
He stated that to “leave out one” instead of supporting both equally was “hard to fathom” and furthermore sent the wrong message to rate-payers.
Cllr Fitzpatrick acknowledged that the hospitality sector had been “badly hit” by the pandemic as a whole and that many businesses may even remain closed once restrictions are fully lifted.
A sum of €17m has been set aside for the scheme, which is comprised of two parts and will be delivered in partnership between Fáilte Ireland and Local Authorities across the country.
The first part of the scheme will provide funding for individual tourism and hospitality businesses to develop and increase their own outdoor seating capacity. It also provides for equipment like outdoor heaters.
However, the scheme is currently only available to those who serve food, which is creating a division yet again in the industry where last summer pubs that served food were allowed open and so called ‘wet pubs’ remained closed.
The 15-person limit for outdoor dining and the €9 substantial meal rule are to be scrapped when hospitality reopens.
Half will never reopen - Fay
Cllr Fitzpatrick's motion was seconded by Independent representative Brendan Fay, proprietor of The Widows Bar in Belturbet.
He said he “hadn't served a pint” since March 15, 2020. He described the Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme as creating an “us and them situation” between pubs that serve food and those that don't or choose not to.
A member of a social media messaging group with other local pub owners across the county, Cllr Fay informed the Cavan council meeting that almost half the group of 48 will remain shut for good.
“It just seems that they don't think we can handle our business,” fumed Cllr Fay, who added of the scheme: “It has to be changed.”
Fine Gael's Carmel Brady also supported the motion. She said that traditional pubs played an integral role in the social fabric of rural areas, and commented that the limitations to the Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme were a “huge oversight”.
There was support too from TP O'Reilly (FG) whose brother runs Lisgrey House near Virginia; Patricia Walsh (FF) and Independent Shane P O'Reilly who said: “To me it's creating a two-tier system.”
He added that one of the largest pitfalls of the scheme was the requirement that applicants must have paid their rates in full, noting that many businesses had been shut for the past 12 months.
“If they haven't got money to keep the doors open, they can't make money to pay rates.”
Cllr O'Reilly went so far as to suggest that the scheme was thought up by “someone who doesn't understand rural Ireland."
There was support too for the motion from Peter McVitty (FG) and Sinn Féin's Paddy McDonald.
Meanwhile, a member of the council's executive, Director of Service Paddy Connaughton received the praise of elected members for his attempts to engage with local businesses in relation to the proposed Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme.
Over the May Bank Holiday weekend Mr Connaughton set out to travel the county to speak with concerned local business owners directly.
His initiative was praised by Fianna Fáil's Cllr Kelly, and seconded by Fine Gael's Cllr Brady who said that his actions had provided some “excellent PR for the council”.