LVA warns Dublin pubs face mounting pressures

The LVA has told an Oireachtas committee that rising costs are threatening Dublin pubs and local jobs

The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to help highlight some of the cost challenges facing Dublin pubs.

The appearance was part of a discussion on ‘Competitiveness, Cost of Doing Business in Ireland’, with other organisations such as the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) and the Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI) also appearing.

Among the issues highlighted by Donall O’Keeffe, CEO of the LVA, in his opening statement were:

• The need to keep any increases in minimum wage to the general inflation rate for 2026 of 3.5% max, with minimum wage inflation having grown by 35% since 2022.
• Reduction in the costs associated with providing Special Exemption Orders (SEOs) for late night opening to €100 in the short term, followed by the enactment of the Sale of Alcohol Bill to address the extortionate costs for good.
• Cutting the rate of alcohol excise by 10% across all categories to boost commercial viability.

Also during the statement, Donall pressed for the need for more taxis to be provided, including the use of ride-hailing apps; the removal of the Dublin Airport Cap and the swift resourcing of the Dublin Taskforce enabling the revitalisation of Dublin, especially the provision of the promised 1,000 extra Gardaí.

The LVA also took the opportunity to highlight the high costs facing businesses with regards to energy and insurance.