The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) has blasted Budget 2025 as ‘a disaster’ for Irish pubs warning it will lead to more closures.
The sector were left fuming after Minister for Finance Jack Chambers did not grant their wish to reduce VAT or excise duty for the pub sector.
Publicans said the lack of action “falls disastrously short of what is needed to protect a sector on the brink.”
They claimed “a series of minor supports, but these are largely irrelevant to the core issue facing publicans, which is the rising costs of business.”
VFI CEO Pat Crotty said: “The Budget is a disaster for our sector. We have been clear with the Government about the immense pressure pubs are under, yet they have failed to deliver any meaningful support.
“Every minister and TD fully understands this Budget will lead to closures for a huge number of businesses across the county.
“The Government’s own report from earlier this year accepts that many of the policies introduced …