Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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285. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the assessment his Department has made of the contribution of pubs to employment throughout the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50446/26]

Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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286. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has undertaken an assessment of the increasing rate of pub closures throughout the State and the potential implications for employment, tourism and local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50475/26]

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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287. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on whether the continued closure of pubs throughout Ireland poses a risk to employment, tourism and local economic activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50487/26]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 285, 286 and 287 together.

It is important to acknowledge the challenges Irish enterprise has faced over the last number of years, and I am aware of the concerns of hospitality businesses, particularly, when dealing with the rising cost of doing business. At the same time, it is also important to acknowledge the key role played by hospitality businesses in Ireland in terms of employment. According to the Labour Force Survey, almost 177,000 people were employed in the Accommodation and Food Service Sector in 2026 Q1.

When detailing business closures in the sector, I should, at the outset, clarify that the information available to my Department relates to companies registered with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). This does not include businesses operating as sole traders or unincorporated entities. However, overall total business closures (defined as liquidations plus voluntary strike-offs) in the Accommodation and Food Services sector which includes pubs, were more than 12% lower in Q1 2026 than in Q1 2025, falling from 157 to 137. Business openings in January and February were unchanged between 2025 and 2026 and exceeded total closures in both quarters. Nonetheless the support of a vibrant hospitality sector right across the country remains vitally important, and is one of my key priorities with Tourism being under my remit at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

As Minister for Tourism, I set out government's policy, A New Era for Irish Tourism in December 2025, and this has a clear focus on enhancing Ireland's attractiveness to visitors through the development and marketing of strong food, drink and culinary offerings. This promotion of our offering, includes annual campaigns that highlight its quality and authenticity. Irish food and drink now strongly features in international marketing, TV co-productions, and in-market events led by my Agencies, and acknowledges the key role that our hospitality sector plays in making Ireland a hiqh quality tourism experience for visitors. My Department remains committed to backing businesses in this sector, as demonstrated by the introduction of the 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector which took effect on July 1st, and we will ensure that the actions aimed at supporting small businesses in the Programme for Government are implemented in an effective and timely manner.

The Government has taken an active approach in supporting SMEs, including hospitality firms. The Cost of Business Advisory Forum was established in June 2025. The Forum brings together key representative bodies across enterprise, industry, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and agrifood sectors, alongside senior officials across Government departments and State agencies. The Forum has met regularly over the last eight months with each meeting devoted to a distinct thematic area of concern to businesses such as energy and security of supply, insurance costs, planning and infrastructure regulations, water services costs, legal costs, reporting and compliance regulations as well as banking, payments, and financial services. Representatives across different sectors – including SMEs – have reiterated the real world impacts of sustained and increasing cost pressures and regulatory demands on day to day operations, investment capacity, and competitiveness, particularly for smaller enterprises.

I attended the last meeting of the Forum alongside Minister Dillon and Minister Smyth, and noted the significant work completed by the Forum and reaffirmed their commitment to bringing this report to Government and giving full consideration to the Forum’s findings. The final report, informed by extensive stakeholder input and cross government collaboration is expected to be presented to Government this month and it will play a key role in shaping future approaches to supporting a competitive, resilient, and sustainable enterprise environment.

I am also pleased to inform that the Small Business Unit was established in my department last year, fulfilling a Programme for Government commitment. The Unit has been tasked with ensuring that the needs and issues of small businesses have a dedicated focus and are recognised and acknowledged across Government. There are a number of tools this Unit and my Department will use to enable its work. First, through the rigorous implementation of the SME Test. The SME Test tasks policy makers to consider the impact that any new policy, legislation, or regulation, may have on SMEs, and to mitigate against those impacts where appropriate. Secondly, access to grants and support programmes have been simplified through the launch of the National Enterprise Hub. The NEH is hosted and operated by Enterprise Ireland and has over 250 different supports for businesses from 32 Departments and agencies. Third, the Small Business Unit has responsibility for the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). We are ensuring the LEOs are properly resourced to help small businesses. A review of the full suite of LEO supports is currently underway while my Department and EI have completed a review of applications for all LEO grant schemes to reduce the number of questions and simplify requirements.

Pubs are small businesses and often important community hubs and tourism destinations in their own right - and the Government will remain actively engaged with the sector on measures which we can take to support their growth and viability.