RAI Pre-Budget Submission 2022

The Restaurants Association of Ireland has today released its Pre-Budget 2022 Submission. Speaking about the asks of the restaurant and wider hospitality industry, Adrian Cummins, CEO Restaurants Association of Ireland said: “Our members, including restaurants, gastropubs, cafés and caterers have been economically flattened by the necessary public health restrictions over the last 18 months and now that the sector is slowly reopening, albeit still restricted, our shift must now focus to sustaining and reviving the sector. Continued wage supports are vital for the sector as the good weather and staycations end. Financial supports to enable the sector to reemploy staff and adapt and grow until international tourism returns are paramount to ensuring the continued survival of the hospitality sector, a vital element of our domestic and international tourism offering.”

Sustaining & Reviving Ireland’s Restaurant & Hospitality Sector

Restaurants Association of Ireland’s Asks for Budget 2022

• Wage Supports – Continuation at current rates in 2022
• Increased Tourism Budget – increase from the current €186 Million budget to €300 Million
• Local Authority Charges – extension of waivers of commercial rates / street furniture licences
• Tourism & Hospitality VAT Rate – Retain 9% VAT Rate until 2025
• Stay & Spend – Implement a real time voucher scheme similar to the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme
• Excise Duty – Reduce alcohol excise by 7.5%
• Work Permits & Visas – Extension of existing Work Permits and Visa currently in place in light of pandemic closure months. Inclusion of Front of House Roles in Work Permits
• Apprenticeships – Implement Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025 recommendations immediately to bring equality to employer payments of Traditional / Craft and New (Post 2016) apprenticeships & permit bursaries
• Establishment of a National Tourism and Hospitality Training Authority
• Review of Tourism State Agencies
• Establish a Restaurant & Hospitality Forum
• Industry Developed Tourism Policy
• Tourism Satellite Account
• Insurance – Action Alliance for Insurance Reform Asks
• Labour Costs – no further increase to minimum wage in the short term
• Commercial Rates – review of the rates calculations to reflect a more fair and propositional valuation for all business types
• Other associated business costs – review of regulatory licencing and utility costs on businesses
• National Food Education Policy – Comprehensive Culinary and Nutritional Education as a mandatory element of primary and secondary syllabus

Please Read Full Pre-Budget Submission Here