Call for price cap for rocketing gas and electricity bills for Kildare pubs

A group that represents pub owners in Kildare has called for a price cap on rocketing gas and electricity bills for the sector which is facing the “bleakest winter.”

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI), which represents 4,000 pubs outside the Greater Dublin area, also demanded subsidies for the industry to help publicans keep their doors open in coming weeks amid the crippling energy crisis.

Budget

Speaking about the forthcoming Budget on September 27, the VFI added the government “needs to act now” if it wants to keep a viable hospitality sector.

VFI Chief Executive Paul Clancy said: “There is widespread concern among publicans across the country about energy costs.

“Simply put, the sort of cost increases facing members are not sustainable given we are hearing reports of pubs where energy bills have shot up by 230% since last year.

Supports

“The Government must intervene with a meaningful package of supports in the upcoming Budget.

“Whether it’s a price cap or subsidies, the support must give comfort to small business owners who are facing the bleakest winter imaginable if those supports are not forthcoming.

“If the government wants a viable hospitality sector in place at the end of this crisis they need to help the sector now.”

Solar panels

Meanwhile one publican in Kildare called for incentives for the pub trade such as for installing solar panels on roofs.

Vivian Carroll of Judge Roy Beans in Newbridge said: “The industry is in crisis. We need supports put in place straight away with some creative thinking around grants for the likes of solar power.”

He added: “The current situation is just not sustainable.”

The latest crisis to hit the pub trade follows on from a stark report published last month showed a 21% decline in the number of Irish pubs since 2005.

A total of 26 closed in County Kildare alone.

The study on behalf of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) said there were 1,829 less pubs in the country over the 16-year period, while 349 closed during Covid-19 pandemic.

The largest decrease was seen in Laois with 30.6% less pubs since 2005. This was the only county with a decrease of 30% or more.

The lowest decrease was in Meath with 1.4% less.

Meath was followed by Dublin, reporting a decrease of only 4.3%.

All the remaining 23 counties had decreases greater than 10%.