Two out of three Kilkenny pubs closed due to Covid-19 could be out of business by 2021: report

Two-thirds of Kilkenny’s pubs that have not yet re-opened due to the Covid-19 pandemic believe they will not be in business next year if they are not allowed to open their doors soon.

These are the stark findings of a survey of pub-owners outside of Dublin published the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI). The survey also reveals four out of five Kilkenny pub owners no longer support the Government.

The survey was organised ahead of the Government decision on whether the 3,500 pubs still closed across the country can reopen on Monday, August 31. The Cabinet is due to discuss this issue in the coming days, with an announcement expected before the end of the week.

Close to 1,600 pubs nationwide responded to the survey. It revealed that 96% of respondents believe the Government does not have a plan that will allow non-food pubs to reopen while the crisis persists. A further 92% of those surveyed say they believe pubs have been scapegoated during the crisis.

Nine out of 10 pub owners are not satisfied with the Government’s handling of this crisis.

If the government agrees to a further three-week delay in reopening pubs, it will mean these 3,500 pubs will have been closed for six months, and 25,000 employees unable to work throughout that period.

VFI chief executive Padraig Cribben said: “This survey highlights how much the pubs that are still closed feel abandoned by the Government.

“They feel like they have been cast adrift with no support and only shallow declarations of ‘sympathy’.

“There is little expectation that the Government will allow these pubs to reopen next week. So the question is what are they going to do for these pubs who are being deprived from opening their doors by Government order?

“They need to announce support, not sympathy, this week,” Mr Cribbin added.