Restaurateurs criticise fees for al fresco dining

Spare a thought for the Dublin restaurant owner the next time you are enjoying a drink on one of their outdoor terraces.

The capital's restaurateurs are increasingly unhappy about the fees charged by Dublin City Council for eating and drinking al fresco.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) claims Dublin City Council made €451,619 from outdoor seating charges last year.

The association said council officials confirmed the figure at a recent meeting. The officials also said that the charging scheme costs €150,000 to administer, leaving a profit of €301,619.

Adrian Cummins of the RAI said the fees are applied based on the number of tables on a public footpath outside a premises, on top of an annual licence fee.

“This is a double taxation measure. The local authority rates are already so high that these charges threaten to cripple a business that employs local people, uses local produce and is vital for local business,” he said.

“From a survey carried out among RAI members across the entire country, it was found that a restaurant’s annual rates bill ranges from €980-€150,000, averaging at €15,813. That kind of figure is ludicrous.”

Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Paul McAuliffe labelled the approach taken by Dublin City Council towards the issue as “daft”.

“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 a statement, Dublin City Council said: “Dublin City Council fundamentally disagrees with the recent statement made by the Restaurant Association in relation to street furniture charges on public footpaths.

“This is not double taxation, as alleged by the Restaurants Association, but simply a licence charge for the use of the public footpath for retail purposes.

“Dublin City Council is not in the business of making profits, as alleged by the association, but any income generated by the licence fee is reinvested in the roads and traffic infrastructure in the city.”

Dublin City Council also said restaurant owners are not obliged to apply for the licence.