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Food business owners across the country speak out ahead of Budget Day. The hospitality sector, made up of 99.6% SMEs and employing 220,000 people in every town and village, is at breaking point. Rising costs are crippling businesses. Reinstating the 9% VAT rate is essential to help secure the future of the sector. Without it, the future of every food-led business is at serious risk. #Budget2026 #VAT9

@adriancummins @peterburkefg @Failte_Ireland Great news for the sector re the commitment to bringing restaurants back on the agenda for Food Tourism

🚨Breaking Minister @peterburkefg announces a focus on Food Tourism, an All Island Food Strategy, culinary focus, KPI driven strategy for state agencies, restaurants back under remit of @Failte_Ireland Huge support at cabinet and bilateral meetings for 9% vat by the Minister @peterburkefg Major kudos for the Minister from the sector for listening and supporting #iticconf25

“A permanent return to the 9% Vat rate is about recognising the unique pressures food businesses face and acknowledging their value, economically, culturally, and socially.” Read CEO @adriancummins opinion piece in today’s @irishexaminer irishexaminer.com/opinion/commen…

It has been long stated by government and the Department of Finance that the reinstatement of the 9% VAT rate for food businesses would cost €545 million and not €1bn. The cost of one business closing could cost the economy up to €1.36 million. When the VAT rate was reduced between 2011 and 2014 the exchequer saved €443 million in social welfare payments alone. The promised reinstatement of the 9% VAT rate should be viewed as an investment to save jobs, businesses and communities.

📢 "Let's be clear, this isn't because of a lack of support from the consumer, or a lack of effort on our part - it's because the cost of doing business has spiralled out of control and the Government has refused to take meaningful action to address this." Today, Paul Lenehan, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, addressed the large crowd gathered to support the hospitality industry at our #HospitalityDayofAction #SMEDayofAction #VAT9

Taoiseach before Budget: I’m really concerned by the cost base of restaurants and cafés, we are going to take action to fix it, this Gov has the backs of SMEs. @SimonHarrisTD after Budget: Here's a €4,000 grant (€77 a week), but we’re also increasing the minimum wage by 80c.

According to Ireland’s Minister for Tourism @cathmartingreen , Irish Pubs and Restaurants are “not part of the Department of Tourism remit “ What a load of nonsense !! In 30 years of working in the industry, I’ve never heard such rubbish. Roll on the General Election 🗳️ #iticconf24

🚨Breaking Minister ⁦@peterburkefg⁩ calls for cut in vat and alcohol excise to help hospitality businesses in the budget He also confirmed unlikely another business grant for businesses businesspost.ie/news/cut-alcoh… businesspost.ie/news/cut-alcoh…

@PresidentRAI @jackfchambers @Fiona_Kildare Vital to reinstate VAT @ 9% for all food led hospitality businesses. This can be done and would allow breathing space particularly for all smaller independent restaurants/cafes etc to continue operating and offering choice to locals and tourists . @jackfchambers

Great to speak to Finance Minister @JackFChambers this morning. #VAT9 on FOOD is our ask - a more affordable, cost-effective measure. BDO tax analysis showed food/accommodation can 100% be split like 6 others in EU. We already split food and alcohol on a bill for single meal.

🚨Hospitality closures fuelling dereliction New research has found a decline of at least 270 commercial units in the hospitality sector compared to the same period last year. This year saw the highest vacancy rate recorded since reporting began in 2013. independent.ie/business/irish…

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗵: ‘𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗔𝗧 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: 𝟵%’ Accomplished businesswoman and former restaurant owner, Claire Nash, was forced to close Nash 19 on Cork City’s Princes Street in January 2024 - after 30 years in operation - due to the ‘out of control’ cost of doing business. In her first media appearance since then, Nash told The Irish Times ‘Inside Business’ podcast that the VAT hike last September arrived at a time when hospitality business owners were already experiencing significant increases in the cost of energy, food and labour. The closure of 612 restaurants, cafés, gastropubs and other food-serving businesses across the country has unfortunately occurred since that Government decision. If it wants to fix what is currently a broken economic model and secure a future for independent SMEs, it must reinstate the 9% VAT rate on food in #Budget2025. Listen to the full interview: irishtimes.com/podcasts/insid…

'Vast majority fear for the future of our restaurants' New Amárach Research polling in today’s Irish Daily Mail: - 89% say cafés, pubs and restaurants play a key role in local communities - 75% are concerned by the prospect of chains replacing independent hospitality businesses - Only 29% oppose reinstatement of 9% VAT rate on food

Hundreds of restaurants, cafés and other food-led businesses have already taken to Instagram to show their support on #NationalVAT9Day! Have a look: instagram.com/restaurants_ir… @jackfchambers @Paschald @SimonHarrisTD @MichealMartinTD

For a number of months, the Restaurants Association of Ireland has been lobbying around the urgent need for the reinstatement of the 9% VAT rate to save our industry in the media and inside the halls of Leinster House. Now, on #NationalVAT9Day, we are taking this campaign to every restaurant, café and other food-led business in the country. The fight to secure a future for the hospitality sector will continue right up until Budget Day.

Reinstatement of the 9% VAT rate for small, independent restaurants, cafés and pubs must be top of new Minister for Finance’s agenda The Restaurants Association of Ireland has this afternoon welcomed the appointment of @JackFChambers as Minister for Finance. Deputy Chambers has a proven track record of backing SMEs in the hospitality sector, particularly in his constituency area of Dublin West. In the context of Budget 2025 and the urgent need for the reinstatement of the 9% VAT rate on the food element of the hospitality sector to stem the current tide of closures, it is important to note that: - The RAI met with Minister Chambers’ predecessor, Michael McGrath, last week who committed to strongly considering reinstating the 9% VAT rate on food as part of Budget 2025. - Minister Chambers’ coalition partners, @FineGael, unanimously passed a motion calling for the return of the 9% rate for food-led businesses at the party’s Ard Fheis in April. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment @PeterBurkeFG has endorsed this position as recently as last weekend. - The Regional Independent Group and Rural Independent Group of TDs have submitted Dáil motions in support of the 9% rate, with the second of those being carried in the Dáil last week after the Government decided not to oppose it. - Recent polling conducted by Red C on behalf of the Business Post found that 64% of the public support the lower VAT rate for restaurants and cafés, while only 18% wanted to see the higher rate retained. Additional data from Amarach Research found that 67% of the public know of a closure of a small business in their area that has happened already in 2024. - A national, grassroots ‘VAT9 Now’ campaign driven by on-the-ground restaurant and café operators has exploded in popularity on social media, which led to VAT9 election posters being erected across the country during the most recent local and European elections. The Restaurants Association of Ireland and our CEO, @AdrianCummins, look forward to meeting with the new Minister for Finance in the coming weeks and gaining his support for the reinstatement of the 9% VAT rate for food-led businesses in Budget 2025 - the only measure that can allow us to avoid a further tsunami of closures and return long-term viability for our industry.

Well done on your relentless drive to support the Hospitality industry.

Well done on your relentless drive to support the Hospitality industry.

🔴Breaking Minister @mmcgrathtd won’t rule out cut to Vat rate for food-led businesses The minister for finance said that all options for taxation would be on the table in advance of budget talks businesspost.ie/article/michae… via @businessposthq

It is vital that the Government reinstate the 9% VAT for food led businesses, the 9% VAT has been in place for over 10years, bring it back. #vat9 @RAI_ie