Cafés that don't sell alcohol shouldn't be excluded from Covid support fund says RAI
Restaurant or cafés must have a Special Restaurant Licence or a Wine Retailer’s On-Licence, to apply for the funding. Picture: Helena Lopes/Pexels
The Restaurant’s Association of Ireland has criticised the government for excluding cafés and restaurants that don’t sell alcohol from a key Covid-19 support fund from Fáilte Ireland.
The Covid-19 Adaptation Fund, which supports tourism and hospitality businesses that have had to adapt their premises to meet the Government’s guidelines for re-opening during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not include cafés and restaurants that are not licensed to sell alcohol.
Under the current stipulations, restaurant or cafés must have a Special Restaurant Licence (which permits you to sell all types of alcohol for consumption in your premises) or a Wine Retailer’s On-Licence, to apply for the funding.
Chief Executive of the Restuarant Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins labelled the criteria as “bizarre.”
“From the very beginning we said to Failte Ireland, this is unfair on café owners that serve teas and coffees,” he said, but added that the authority has remained “adamant” that cafes not possessing an alcohol licence won’t be included.
Mr Cummins said the group is now asking that, should there be surplus funding when the scheme closes this Saturday, it goes to hospitality businesses that are currently excluded.
“There's €26 million being allocated to this. If there's surplus money, which we believe there will be, that should go to café owners,” he said.
Labour leader Alan Kelly blasted the current criteria for the grant as “crazy,” “discriminatory” and “nonsensical.”
He claimed “most” local cafés and restaurants are excluded under the current stipulations.
“These businesses, owned and run mainly by local people, need to be supported through these Level 5 restrictions and at the very least deserve a level playing field from a Government-funded scheme,” he said.
“I have had several struggling café owners contact me to say they could really do with this funding but are ineligible because they do not serve alcohol.
“This funding could be the difference between a small family run café staying in business or being forced to close,” he said, “[It] needs to be made available to all restaurants and cafés, irrespective of type.”
Speaking to Drivetime this afternoon, Deputy Kelly added that he has advised café owners to apply for the Wine Retailer's On-License, which costs €500 per year, to avail of the scheme, leaving them with net €2,000.
A spokesperson for Fáilte Ireland’s said the Covid-19 Adaptation Fund has been designed to contribute to the costs incurred by “tourism businesses” including attractions, accommodation providers, pubs, restaurants, visitor centres as they adapt their premises.
“In order for Fáilte Ireland - as a tourism development agency - to identify ‘tourism businesses’ in the application process, a set of eligibility criteria for each business category was developed. Under this criteria, only restaurants and cafés with a Wine Retailer’s On Licence or a Special Restaurant Licence are eligible to apply.”
“In general, many small independent cafés serve a mainly local population and are not deemed to be predominantly ‘tourism businesses’. These businesses are eligible to apply for other Government funded Covid-19 support schemes, including the Restart Grant Plus.”
“Restaurants and cafes that may be in the process of applying for a Wine Retailer’s On Licence or a Special Restaurant Licence are eligible to apply for the Fáilte Ireland Covid-19 Adaptation Fund and this has been communicated to RAI members,” they confirmed.
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