Restaurant owners slam ‘sunshine tax’

ENJOYING a cup of coffee or a bite to eat sitting outside a café is one of Dublin’s simple summer pleasures, but the city’s restaurant owners are up in arms over the price it costs them.

Dublin City Council charges restaurants and cafes a fee based on the number of tables on a public footpath, and they also have to pay for a licence.

According to the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) outdoor seating charges last year amounted to

?¬70,000 in Dublin 1,

?¬325,000 in Dublin 2 and

?¬4.000 in Dublin 7.

The RAI say its sector was taxed

?¬1,237 per day by the council who also made over

?¬450,000 in outdoor seating charges.

“This is a double taxation measure,

? said Adrian Cummins of the RAI.

“The local authority rates are already so high that these charges threaten to cripple an industry that employs local people, uses local produce and is vital for local business.

?

A nationwide survey carried out by the RAI found that annual rates bills for its members ranged from

?¬980 to

?¬15,813. The average was

?¬15,813.

“That kind of figure is ludicrous,

? Cummins added.

In order to qualify for outdoor seating a restaurant or café must serve food that can be eaten onsite. Planning permission is needed for street furniture, and council officials carry out on-site consultations at every establishment seeking a license for outdoor furniture.

A working group on cafes and restaurants has now been established by Dublin City Council’s Paul McAuliffe (FF). The group will provide recommendations to council officials regarding street furniture and is examining the license process, costs, outside city centre charges and inspection costs.

Cllr McAuliffe says city businesses are currently forced to pay

?¬125 per table, a

?¬100 annual fee and additional charges in pedestrian zones and he’s demanding a full review of the licensing system for tables and chairs outside restaurants, cafés and pubs in the capital.

“Obviously the council needs to regulate street furniture to ensure disability access and to prevent any one business overly encroaching on the public domain,

? he said.

“However these charges and the bureaucratic process for approval seem daft.

“In the development plan for Dublin City, the aim is to encourage more cafés as they are seen as an important part of the bustle and culture of the city, as well as acting as a draw for tourists.

“They are often the meeting places for new business start-ups and they help make our streets feel safer.

“That is why we have initiated a full review of the approval process, the charging scheme, and the parts of the city where these rules are applied.

?