Twenty per cent drop in number of Longford pubs

Only 91 public house licences were renewed in Longford in 2018, showing a 19.5% drop in the number of pubs open in Longford since 2005, a new industry analysis by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) reports.

A total of 71 rural pubs closed in 2018, with ‘rural’ referring to anywhere outside of Dublin. The figure is a stark reminder of the pub’s continued decline in rural Ireland.

In the period between 2005 and 2018, 22 Longford pubs closed, with some of those forced to shut up shop during the recession.

In Longford, the drinks and hospitality sector enables 6,139 jobs and €84 million in tourism spend in the Longford-Westmeath constituency.

The high cost of alcohol excise tax remains a source of significant concern for rural publicans and, indeed, hoteliers, restaurateurs, off-licence owners and other drinks and hospitality business proprietors.

Ireland has the second-highest overall alcohol excise tax in the EU, the highest excise tax on wine, the second highest on beer, and the third highest on spirits.

Ireland’s rate of excise on wine is 25% higher than any other country in the EU, while our excise rate on spirits is 26% higher than the UK.

DIGI has called on the Government to reduce alcohol excise tax by 15% over the next two years - 7.5% in Budget 2020 and an additional 7.5% in Budget 2012.