Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Earlier this week, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage made another big announcement with little substance behind it. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, said he was going to waive the fees for local businesses for outdoor seating, but he has provided little clarity around that. There was no clarity for the local businesses because there was no engagement with them. There was no clarity with the council and no clarity on what exactly will be waived or when that will happen.

Currently, small businesses are being robbed for outdoor seating. To place a table and seats on the footpath outside a coffee shop or restaurant, the biggest cost is renting space from the council. I spoke to the manager of a family-run coffee shop this morning. To put three tables and six seats outside that small coffee shop, the charge will be €6,000 per year. That can only be good for the coffee shop for half the year, given the Irish weather. It is being charged, but the seats are unusable for six months of the year. During the pandemic, he spent more than €3,000 installing a high-quality outdoor seating area. This is good for business, but it is also good for the local community. Due to the extortionate fees, however, this family-run coffee shop removed the outdoor seating area just a few weeks ago. The same story goes in Rathmines, where the coffee shops cannot afford seating, so they have scrapped it. There are now empty seats in Rathmines and across the city. These seating areas could have added a nice buzz to the local community and area. It is the city's loss. Ernesto's in Rathmines has a few tiny tables for people to drink coffee and rest. It is a lovely shop. Again, however, it is being robbed and crushed by these extortionate charges. It has to pay €4,500 for a few tiny tables for one year and, again, for most of the year he cannot use them, which means €4,500 for six months. It is extortionate. Businesses feel they are being robbed. Most businesses need to hire a professional to make the planning application, which, of course, is another cost.

Businesses are already hard enough pressed, particularly small independent coffee shops, cafés and restaurants. They have been hit with higher energy costs, higher costs for ingredients, higher staff costs, rent and rates, of course, and then, as if all of this was not enough, the council comes around and picks their pockets. Ernesto's is a small family business but, like all the businesses in Rathmines and across the city, it improves the area and adds to the community. It really seems like there is an attempt to milk every cent out of these local traders. Coffee shops like Ernesto's and Eathos add so much to the community and the city. The Government and councils need to be helping small businesses across the city, such as Ernesto's, not crushing them. Reducing and waiving these fees partially is not just going to support the businesses; it is also going to support the city and, God knows, the city needs help.

Does the Minister of State support these extortionate fees? Will the fees per square metre of footpath be waived? An ad hoc announcement in an election year, which will only last until the end of the year, seems cynical.

See this speech in context