Country pubs decimated by governments neglect of rural Ireland – Codd

A candidate for the upcoming local elections has said that the demise of local pubs is a direct result of successive governments neglect of rural Ireland. Aontu rep Jim Codd said that rural pubs will eventually go extinct unless national and local government learns to think differently.

“I have spoken to several publicans and bar staff while out canvassing in the Rosslare LEA and they are all under the impression that not enough was done by the powers that be to protect their institutions,” Mr Codd said. “The obvious after effects of major changes to the business such as the smoking ban and the deregulation of licensing laws which allowed supermarkets to sell much cheaper alcohol were not taken into account by the state. No stimulus or grants were offered to struggling rural pubs, and neither was any effort made to give grace to businesses who had fallen behind with their VAT or any reduction in commercial rates.”

“Pubs were once the central meeting place for rural communities, a place where people could meet their neighbours and older people could go for company. This has now been replaced with discount beer deals in supermarkets which is having a terrible effect on many people. Alcoholism and the diseases involved with it are on the rise in rural Ireland.”

“The rural pub is a traditional hub and tourism highlight of the Irish countryside. We need to protect them. The practice of pubs selling slabs of beer at a loss to get people into their store must be halted and incentives must be introduced to preserve our country bars. Social clubs in the UK are surviving because such incentives have been ordered to them and it has turned these venues into community centres in many cases.”