Statement on the Fallout of Recent Devastating Scenes in Dublin City Centre for Restaurants and Hospitality Businesses

The Restaurants Association of Ireland is engaging with the highest level of Government on behalf of Dublin city centre restaurants and hospitality businesses.

This time of year is of the utmost importance to restaurants and cafés hoping for a busy Christmas season to support them through 2024. The scenes witnessed on Thursday night could not have arrived at a worse time for business owners in Dublin city centre. Some are already reporting a significant number of booking cancellations for the coming weeks.

The RAI has identified a number of priority actions that must be taken to support hospitality businesses in our nation’s capital:

1. The Government must ensure the highest level of Garda visibility ever seen is present on the streets of Dublin both day and night until the end of January.

2. A public awareness campaign conveying the message that Dublin city is safe to visit and open for business during the Christmas period must be initiated.

3. There must be cross-party political communication of the message that Dublin city is safe to visit and open for business involving the Minister, opposition party leaders, Dublin TDs and others.

4. Grant aid/wage subsidies must be provided to businesses that:

A) were forced to close on Thursday night.

B) have been forced to close on Friday or over the next few days (because of staff concerns, for example).

C) have faced damage to property and will incur repair costs as a result.

All of those injured in and impacted by the senseless and vicious knife attack at Parnell Square on Thursday are also very much in the thoughts of all involved at the RAI. We wish each of those injured a speedy recovery, particularly the children involved.