The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has expressed concern about the new latte levy that was announced by the government last week, which will see a 25 cent levy placed on disposable coffee cups and a price hike to many people's morning coffees.
"Very Disappointed"
RAI CEO Adrian Cummins said, "The Restaurants Association of Ireland is very disappointed by this latest tax and money grab by the government. While we would welcome a well-thought-out proposal by the government on improving sustainability in the industry, we do not feel that much thought has been given to the impact this levy will have on already struggling businesses. We would encourage the government to instead consider a sustainable business grant, to encourage businesses to make more environmentally friendly choices.
"We are also hugely concerned that, to date, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has not presented a full position on the safety of keep cups, and who is liable for someone getting sick from a coffee that is consumed from a keep cup.
"This levy is ill thought-out and poorly timed for the sector, especially in a year when the VAT has increased and there have been two boil water notices in the past few weeks. These boil water notices impact coffee shops particularly badly as coffee machines don't bring water to a boiling point."
© 2019 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
