The traditional family-run Irish pub is facing a perilous future if the Government doesn't amend the new licensing law and put a cap on the size of pubs which can be opened with an existing licence, the Vintners Federation of Ireland has warned. The family-run pub could become a thing of the past in the face of a major expansion by super-pub chains, the Cork County VFI spokesman, Mr Con Dennehy, said yesterday.
"Under the new legislation, it's possible to buy a pub licence from a small traditional pub in somewhere like Ballydehob or Mohill and transfer it into Cork or Galway city to meet the demand there or transfer it to the outskirts of any large or medium sized town in Ireland," he said.
"Now we have no problem with that per se, but there has to be a cap on the size of the new pub. A licence from a small 1,000 sq ft pub out the country can be bought up and used to open a 20,000 sq ft super-pub in a city or big town," he said.
Mr Dennehy pointed out that approximately 80 per cent of the VFI's 6,000 members are family-owned and family-run pubs and the proposed legislation would have serious repercussions for their survival.
"We don't believe that this is the correct way for the pub sector to develop. It's going to leave family-run pubs very exposed and opens up the possibility of major chains of super-pubs swamping our cities and towns," said Mr Dennehy.
The family-run pub was an essential part of the Irish experience for visitors, while the social fabric of many small towns and villages would also suffer if the local family-run pub was to close.
Mr Dennehy said VFI members would urge the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, to consider introducing a cap to ensure family-owned pubs were given every support in meeting the challenge of the super-pub.