Protest in Dublin Over Government Support for Small Businesses

Today in Dublin, hundreds of business owners and workers from various sectors will gather to protest the lack of support from the Government in the Budget. Organized by the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) and Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, with support from the Irish Small and Medium Sized Enterprises association (ISME), the protest aims to emphasize the unsustainable costs faced by small businesses.

The groups criticize Government policies such as increases to the National Minimum Wage and paid statutory sick days, along with the pace of the transition to a Living Wage. They argue that these policies are exacerbating an already challenging business environment.

Despite pressure, the Government did not reintroduce a 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector in the Budget. Instead, they provided a new €4,000 grant for small and medium-sized businesses. However, businesses claim this grant is insufficient to offset the rising costs they are facing.

The protest highlights the urgent need for Government intervention to support struggling businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector.

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