1. Introduction
   The Restaurants Association of Ireland welcomes this opportunity to contribute to the
   Independent COVID-19 Evaluation.
   
   The Restaurants Association of Ireland is the representative body for restaurants,
   cafés and gastropubs across the country, with over 3,000 members. The
   Association advocates on behalf of the sector, provides training and support to
   members and engages directly with Government on policy affecting the hospitality industry.
   The restaurant and broader food service sector was valued at approximately €8.5 billion
   pre-COVID on the island of Ireland and is a key economic driver, supporting over 220,000
   jobs and sustaining tourism and community life. Restaurants are more than businesses:
   they are social hubs that sustain employment, culture, and vibrancy in towns and
   villages across Ireland.
   
   The experiences of restaurants during COVID-19 reveal essential lessons for how Ireland
   must manage future crises. The Restaurants Association of Ireland sets out in this submission
   the impacts of the pandemic on its members, the challenges faced in implementing Government
   measures, and recommendations to ensure a more balanced and transparent approach to
   crisis management in the future. The Restaurants Association
   of Ireland would welcome the opportunity to meet directly with the COVID-19
   Evaluation Group to provide further detail.
   
2. Economic & Business Impacts

• Prolonged closures & disruption
  Restaurants were closed longer than nearly any other sector, with only intermittent and highly
  restricted reopening. In March 2020, up to 140,000 people across hospitality lost jobs, around half
  of them in restaurants.
• Financial fragility
  Despite government supports, fixed costs such as rent, utilities and insurance continued. The
  Restaurants Association of Ireland reported that 80% of members struggled with rent, and average
  costs for outdoor dining upgrades reached €15,000 per premises.
• Support schemes
  ➢ EWSS & CRSS provided relief, but caps and eligibility excluded many.
  ➢ Stay & Spend was poorly targeted, with just 0.2% uptake.
  ➢ Warehoused tax debt has left many operators financially vulnerable in 2025.
• Ongoing fallout
  Even after restrictions lifted, recovery has been fragile. With hundreds of
  businesses closing year on year since Covid due to accumulated debt and
  VAT burdens. Labour shortages persist due to workers leaving the sector
  during the pandemic.

3: Social & Community Impacts

• Loss of social hubs
  These impacts extended beyond economics, affecting community wellbeing and the mental health
  of business owners and staff. Restaurants are more than businesses they are community spaces.
  Closures hit local life hard, particularly in rural towns and villages where dining venues are vital
  social outlets.
• Mental health impacts
  Owners and staff faced severe stress from job loss, uncertainty, and debt. Enforcement of public
  health rules (e.g. vaccine passports) placed staff under additional strain, often leading to conflict
  with customers.

4: Role of the Restaurants Association of Ireland During the Pandemic

• Stakeholder engagement
  The Restaurants Association of Ireland was directly engaged with Government in consultations,
  including Oireachtas hearings, where it highlighted the inequity of restrictions and advocated for
  enhanced supports such as CRSS reform and rent relief.
• Support to members
  The Restaurants Association of Ireland provided guidance to restaurants on constantly changing
  public health rules, supported members in complying with vaccine certification requirements, and
  consistently kept members informed while offering practical assistance in all areas.
• Advocacy & outreach
  The Association consistently called for proportionate, evidence-based measures, simplified
  licensing for outdoor dining, and regulatory changes to support survival and recovery.

5: Lessons Learned & Recommendations
A. Communication and Transparency

• Public health guidelines often changed overnight. Clearer, earlier
  communication and advance notice for businesses is essential where
  possible.
• Restrictions should be evidence-based, with data published transparently to explain decisions.
  B. Balance of Policy Objectives
• Public health protection must be weighed against economic and social sustainability. Hospitality
  cannot again be disproportionately burdened.
  C. Design of Supports
• Eligibility criteria must reflect the diversity of the sector.
• Landlord regulation and rent relief mechanisms should be included from the outset.

6: Conclusion
The Irish restaurant sector bore a disproportionate share of the cost of COVID-19 restrictions. While
recognising the importance of protecting public health, the Restaurants Association of Ireland stresses that
lessons must be learned to ensure future crises are managed more fairly and effectively.

• Proportionate, transparent measures,
• Early consultation with stakeholders, and
• Swift, accessible supports
  are essential to safeguard both public health and the economic and social fabric of Ireland.
  The Restaurants Association of Ireland stands ready to work with the Evaluation Team and to share further
  insights, data, and sector expertise to ensure the lessons of the pandemic are fully captured.