Restaurants Association of Ireland slams Dublin City Council for ‘Sunshine Tax’ on Outdoor Seating

Restaurants Association Of Ireland Slams Dublin City Council For “Sunshine Tax” On Outdoor Seating

Half a Million Euro per Year generated from “Sunshine Tax” for Outdoor Tables & Chairs in Dublin City

Dublin City Restaurant sector taxed €1237 per day by Dublin City Council.

Dublin City Council (DCC) has made nearly half a million Euro – €451,619 from outdoor seating charges last year. These are fees paid by restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and pubs to put customer seating outside their premises. DCC officials confirmed at a recent meeting with the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), that the scheme costs €150,000 to administer, thus making a profit of €301,619.

In order to qualify for this scheme you must serve food that can be served to the public that can be eaten on-site. Planning permission is needed for street furniture, and council officials carry out on-site consultations at every establishment seeking a license for outdoor furniture. In 2014, DCC collected the following outdoor seating charges from these Dublin areas;

– Dublin 1 €70,000
– Dublin 2 €325,000
– Dublin 3 €71,600
– Dublin 6 €15,000
– Dublin 7 €4,000
– Dublin 8 €9,000

Adrian Cummins of the RAI commented on the charges, “These fees are applied based on the number of tables on a public footpath outside a premises PLUS an annual licence fee. This is a double taxation measure. The local authority rates are already so high that these charges threaten to cripple a business that employs local people, uses local produce and is vital for local business.” He continued, “From a survey carried out among RAI members across the entire country, it was found that a restaurant’s Annual Rates Bill ranges from €980-€150,000, averaging at €15,813. That kind of figure is ludicrous.”

A working group on cafes and restaurants has been established by Dublin City Council’s Paul McAuliffe. The group will provide recommendations to the Council officials and the Council regarding street furniture. The group are looking at the license process, costs, outside city centre charges and inspection costs.
ENDS

For further information contact:

Adrian Cummins,
Chief Executive,
Restaurants Association of Ireland,
11 Bridge Court, Citygate,
St. Augustine Street, Dublin 8.

Telephone: +353 1 6779901
Fax: +353 1 6718414
Email:
Website: www.rai.ie
Twitter: @rai_ie
Facebook: www.facebook.ie/RestaurantsAssociationOfIreland