On the day that two of Dublin’s best-known restaurant spaces were advertised for sale by a liquidator, the hospitality sector’s campaign for a lower Vat rate came to a disappointing end in Budget 2025.
Despite a year of intense lobbying by the industry amid a wave of closures, the 13.5% rate will remain unchanged.
It is a bitter pill to swallow for small cafés restaurants and pubs struggling to stay afloat, with over 612 shuttered since this time last year.
Included in that number are Brasserie Sixty6 and Rustic Stone, formerly operated by Dylan McGrath, which have been today advertised for sale by a liquidator after closing in August.
The industry had convinced Peter Burke, the enterprise minister, of the need to reduce the Vat rate to 9%. But despite his best efforts, Burke was unable to persuade his cabinet colleagues that the cost to the exchequer – €764m for the entire hospitality sector or €545m for food businesses alone – was justified.
The writing …