Scheme announced to increase outdoor dining capacity

A new scheme delivered in partnership between Fáilte Ireland and Westmeath County Council will help tourism and hospitality businesses in Westmeath to develop and increase their outdoor seating capacity, a Fine Gael Minister has said.

Funding allocated under the scheme will also enable Local Authorities to develop permanent outdoor public dining spaces in towns and urban centres across the country, similar to those that exist in various European cities.

“Earlier this week, government launched a new policy entitled Our Rural Future, the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in decades," said Minister Peter Burke.

“Developing outdoor dining and socialising spaces will help to improve the vibrancy of our towns across Westmeath and bring them more in line with the European model. This is a key commitment in our new policy.

“Today’s announcement regarding the new Outdoor Dining Scheme has two aims. It will enable individual tourism and hospitality businesses to increase their dining and seating capacity in the short-term and will also create a long-term strategy for our local authority to develop appropriate, permanent, weatherproofed outdoor dining infrastructure in Westmeath.

“This will support jobs and businesses and transform appropriate outdoor spaces across Westmeath as welcoming, vibrant places that will help support economic recovery.”

Fianna Fáil Minister Robert Troy has also described launch of the Outdoor Dining Scheme as a great opportunity for the hospitality sector to increase capacity.

"The Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme comprises two parts and will be delivered in partnership between Fáilte Ireland and Local Authorities across the country.

"This Scheme has two main objectives: firstly, to enable individual tourism and hospitality businesses increase their dining and seating capacity in the short-term and secondly to enable a long-term strategy for local authorities to develop appropriate permanent weatherproofed outdoor dining infrastructure.

"The aim is to support jobs and businesses and to transform appropriate outdoor spaces within our cities and towns as welcoming, vibrant places that will help support economic recovery.

"The scheme has been welcomed by representatives of Fáilte Ireland and I look forward to working with many local businesses, and Local Authorities in driving it to the maximum potential.” concluded Minister Troy.

The Outdoor Dining Scheme will be available for application from April 12 and full details will be available on the Department of Tourism website.