Sure look, it will be like dining on the continent...
A €17 million fund to help businesses which serve food to pay for more outdoor seating has been announced.
On Wednesday, Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Fáilte Ireland announced the details of the new scheme, which aims to develop outdoor capacity for food businesses with the help of local authorities.
It's a two-part scheme which in the short-term will focus on helping businesses expand their outdoor seating and dining capacity and in the long-term will "develop appropriate permanent weather-proofed outdoor dining infrastructure".
“The aim is to support jobs and businesses and to transform appropriate outdoor spaces within our cities and towns as welcoming, vibrant places that will help support economic recovery," Martin said.
“This funding announcement further strengthens this Government’s commitment to the development of rural towns, as outlined in the
‘Our Rural Future’ plan announced earlier this week.”
The grants would average around €4,000 for each premises and can be used to cover expenses incurred since April 2020, including costs of outdoor tables, chairs, umbrellas, electric heaters, screens or windbreaks, plant stands and wooden platforms.
The funding is open to all businesses where food is sold for consumption on the premises, such as hotels, cafes, restaurants, pubs and attractions.
As part of the scheme, local authorities will also be able to apply for funding to develop permanent public dining spaces in certain areas of towns and cities.
Each local authority can apply for funding of up to €200,000 under this element of the scheme.
