Vintners' Federation call for Vat payments to be suspended during coronavirus outbreak

The Vintners' Federation of Ireland have called for the government to suspend Vat payments while the coronavirus outbreak is affecting business.

The group claims the cancellation of the St Patrick's Day parades across the country will cost publicans up to €100m.

Yesterday, the main parades in Dublin and Cork were cancelled after a number of regional towns made the same decision last week.

"It's going to be a significant impact so government intervention is going to be vital, said the VFI's public affairs manager Brian Foley.

In that respect, we would call on government to look at suspending Vat payments for the duration of the crisis.

Meanwhile, hotels across the country will also take a financial hit with the cancellation of parades.

"Coronavirus poses huge, huge challenges to our sector and the wider economy in general," said Elaina Fitzgerald, the president of the Irish Hotels Federation, citing an increase in cancellations since the outbreak.

"It differs across different properties in terms of star rating, urban, regional but every hotelier I have spoken to are really, really feeling the pinch already, she added.

It is having a huge, huge impact.