An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-26
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Sarah O'Reilly (AON), Agricultural Panel

There is something special about Ireland when the sun comes out. People head to the beaches and to the back of the wardrobe for their sandals and we swap dinners for salads. Across towns and villages people gather outside their local pub after work to chat, relax and soak up the sun but these meeting places that hold communities together are disappearing. The Vintners Federation of Ireland has warned that rural pubs are facing a massive threat unless the Government acts in budget 2027. Since 2005, 2,200 pubs have closed their doors across Ireland. In recent years, closures have increased to an average of 128 pubs per year. Rural Ireland has been hit hardest of all. When a rural pub closes, it is never just a business shutting its doors as it is often the last meeting place in a village. It is where birthdays are celebrated, funerals are remembered, matches are watched and lonely people find company. When a rural pub closes, a community loses a social anchor. At a time Ireland has been identified as one of the loneliest countries in the European Union, this is significant. Nearly 190,000 people over the age of 65 live alone. Rural isolation is a thing, especially for single male farmers. I ask the Government to consider the proposed tax credit scheme from the VFI because it would go a long way to supporting our local pubs. If we can support film, television and gaming through targeted tax credits, surely we can support the small publicans keeping rural communities alive.
I congratulate Seán Kyne on his win, as well as Daniel Ennis. I got to know Seán over the past year and I believe he was elected because he is a genuine, kind person. I was the beneficiary of his kindness in here. On many an occasion I sat for maybe two hours to speak and we ran out of time but he noticed and asked for more time. He is very tuned in and I wish him the very best of luck.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-26