Budget 2026: Vat cut offers 'far too little, far too late,' says Kerry restaurateur

Owner of Bunkers Bar and Restaurant in Killorglin, Ger Counihan said Budget 2026 goes to show 'broken promises' of a Government that refuses to take the hospitality sector seriously 

Ger Counihan of Bunkers Bar and Restaurant in Killorglin, Co. Kerry. Photo By: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.

A Kerry restaurateur has hit out at what he called a "disappointing" Budget 2026, warning that the long-awaited cut to the hospitality sector's Vat rate did not go far enough to relieve pressure on an industry already at "breaking point."

Long-time restaurant and bar owner Ger Counihan of Bunkers in Killorglin said the industry has long been ignored and not taken seriously by the government, as rising costs continue to hurt already thin profit margins.