Sarah Harte: Government must fork out to secure future of food businesses

I wonder if the Government grasps how small businesses are the backbone of this country, in terms of the jobs they provide, and the contribution they make to society

Nash 19 restaurant on Prince's Street, Cork, has ceased trading. The pressure is mounting on small business owners due to soaring food, energy, and labour costs. This is bad news for them, their employees, and for the wider public.

You would wonder what the landscape for restaurants and cafes will look like by the end of this year. Is it going to resemble the dark days of the recession when tumbleweed blew down our streets?

Last week, three restaurants closed in Cork, including the high-profile Nash 19 which sent tremors through the industry with a fourth announcing its imminent closure. The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has stated that more than 280 restaurants closed in the last six months of 2023, and they anticipate a tsunami of closures, particularly when the debt warehoused during covid must be repaid in May.