Conference to focus on ‘survival of the pub’

The survival and future of the Irish pub will be the overriding issues for publicans at their annual conference today. More than 2,000 pubs have closed in the last decade.

Also flagged will be statistics showing that pubs in traditional tourist areas, which account for 2,500 of the 4,000 Vintners’ Federation (VFI)-member premises, employ an extra 12,000 seasonal staff during the summer.

The important role of the pub in tourism, as has been highlighted in visitor surveys, is also set to be discussed among members. Also, there will be calls for a reduction in excise.