Publicans down but in optimistic mood

The year just gone has been dubbed one of the worst on record for publicans and in Ennis alone it is estimated that up to 60 jobs have been lost in the trade in recent years.
For Vintners Federation Ireland (VFI) Clare chairman, Declan Brandon, 2012 has been the worst since he went into business in Ennis almost 30 years ago.
“It’s the worst in my experience anyway and I’m in business since 1984. We did a survey here in town recently and over 60 jobs went in the last couple of years and that’s just from pubs in Ennis itself, so it’s a huge amount,” Mr Brandon said.
Asked why he believed 2012 saw the trade suffer so much, the VFI spokesperson said it was probably a combination of factors including the recession, supermarket prices and the lack of tourist footfall, which he attributed to the decrease in activity through Shannon airport.
“I’d say the recession is a big part of it and then the cheap drink in supermarkets is a huge issue. Most of us are trying to survive. I don’t know any publican that has increased their turnover in the last 12 months. All publicans are trying to do is to eliminate as many costs as they can to stay in business. We have seen in Clare that Shannon [business decline] has been a huge blow. When I opened you’d have Americans in every hour of the day and night. I was reading the numbers of passengers through Shannon are the worst since 1988 and I mean that’s shocking in this day and age that that has been allowed to happen,” he said.
Mr Brandon said when the local VFI branch met with Clare TDs prior to December’s budget they stressed that Clare is very much a tourist county and that it is losing out on tourism.
“We expressed disquiet that the emphasis is on Dublin and bussing them [the tourists] down from Dublin for a day and covering the whole of Clare in a day. We feel that someone should take action to turn that around,” he said.
Hopes of any recovery in the trade in 2013 are being pinned to outside influences, such as the forthcoming Gathering celebrations and festivals. Mr Brandon believes the steady regular trade that once existed is no longer there.
“We’re an optimistic breed. We probably wouldn’t be doing what we do if we weren’t. If the trade is to revive, definitely it will be through outside influences, so we are relying on The Gathering to bring it and we’ll see if Ennis can get the Fleadh for the following year. The whole industry, across the board, is feeling it. We have met no one who feels that the trade is in good shape at the moment. Everyone keeps their doors open in the hope that things will pick up,” he concluded.
In a statement issued from the VFI national office, which represents approximately 4,000 publicans throughout the country outside of Dublin, it revealed 20% of its members are at crisis point, with up to 800 pubs in serious financial trouble.
The organisation stated, “At a time when we should be celebrating, there is a dark cloud over 54,000 jobs. Trade is down 34% in the last five years and without doubt the announcements made in Budget 2013 will put further pressure on a consumer that is already struggling and has no confidence in their purchasing power. When we should be encouraging people to spend and to support local business, we have driven them away.”