Outdoor dining table fee of €125 needs to be scrapped, says RAI

Local government minister James Browne said he planned to seek to waive the €125 fee per table and four chairs associated with outdoor dining for the remainder of the year. File picture: Damian Coleman

The government is facing calls to abolish the €125 licence fee for outdoor dining tables after confirmation that the fee will be waived again this year, for the fifth year in a row.

Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), said the sector appreciates the latest waiver but the time has come to go a step further.

“This fee has now been waived for five consecutive years and it should simply be abolished,” he said.

“Outdoor dining is now a core part of the hospitality offering. In towns and cities across Ireland, particularly during spells of good weather, people want to sit outside while dining. This should be encouraged, not penalised.” 

He made his comments after local government Minister James Browne confirmed on Friday that he plans to waive the fees for the remainder of the year. 

He set out his plans in response to a parliamentary question submitted by Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, Padraig O’Sullivan.

“This is a pro-business and a pro-tourism government and I want to give small businesses and the hospitality sector every bit of help we can to deal with costs, build their businesses and continue to create employment,” he said.

The fees were waived temporarily during covid when indoor dining was either banned, or the numbers dining indoors were restricted on public health grounds, and have been waived for each of the last four years.

Mr O’Sullivan welcomed the latest waiver which he said will support the sector but said the entire licence fee system should now be reviewed.

In Cork City, 80 businesses availed of the outdoor dining licence in 2024, with 267 licences in Dublin City, 48 in Galway, 38 in Limerick, and 24 in Kilkenny.

Mr Cummins said: "The fee is €125 per table and four chairs, with an additional €100 to €200 administration fee, depending on the local authority.

"In some cases, an additional spatial fee is also applied, significantly increasing the overall cost. These charges are increasingly difficult to justify and place an unfair burden on businesses that are simply trying to enhance the customer experience."