Publicans at centre of Tall Ships’ storm

PUBLICANS in Waterford have been criticised by the organisers of the Tall Ships Race and accused of penny-pinching ahead of the €20 million event.

Chief organiser of the event and chairman of the regional airport, Nicky Fewer, said vintners are not paying their fair share into a fund to help finance the event, which will draw 250,000 people to the city between July 6 and 9.

Publicans, meanwhile, say they’re always the first to cough up whenever a major festival takes place. They said they can’t afford to make the contribution sought by the organisers.

Earlier this week, Waterford City Council was criticised by traders for asking that they list the registration numbers of trucks which would be delivering goods to them at the peak of the four-day event.

Pubs and restaurants will be chief among those to benefit and the amount of money they have offered towards the hosting of the event does not reflect that, said Mr Fewer.

“We expect between €20 million and €25m will be spent and a lot of that is going to go on food and drink,” he said in an interview with WLR FM.

“I feel that we have not acknowledged the significance of the event, nor have the people in the city. They have not come to terms with how large it is. The sad thing about it is that it won’t be until the event has come and gone that people will say that they should have done a lot more. We must go back and discuss the matter with the publicans and see if they can improve their contribution. It isn’t a very significant amount.”

Vintners spokesman in the city, Michael Fitzgerald, said they have offered €5,000 to the committee. He added that membership of the group is just €40 and that it, as a representative body, does not have large sums of money.

“Last year, we gave €5,000 to the Spraoí festival. This year, we are giving €5,000 to the Tall Ships. It is very hard for us to put a levy on publicans. Some publicans will do very well out of it. And some won’t have any benefit.

“The donations sought initially by the organising committee were for sums of €5,000, €10,000 and €15,000. To expect ordinary, individual publicans to give that sort of money is just not on.

“We asked at a meeting could the organisers put a package together and that we could put in smaller amounts that would be effective.

“But they have never come back to us. Anytime that there is anything on in Waterford, we are the first up to the table. And we will be here. But you have to be fair about it.”

Meanwhile, Waterford City Council has announced that it has extended the deadline for permits for access to the city during the Tall Ships event for residents and business people as well as visitors to the city by over a fortnight.