204k jobs in Drinks & Hospitality sector
The figures form part of a new report – Hospitality Employment in Dáil Constituencies Report 2016 – which details hospitality sector employment figures for each Dáil constituency in the country.
For example the report points out that the hospitality industry in Tipperary County supports 422 pubs, 17 licensed hotels, 49 licensed restaurants, 120 off-licences, 16 wholesalers and eight producers. Some 3,973 jobs worth €85 million in wages and €103 million in tourist expenditure are also supported by County Tipp’s hospitality industry, as is €9.5 million in agri-output.
This can be compared with Kerry’s hospitality industry which supports 435 pubs, 50 licensed hotels, 138 licensed restaurants, 131 off-licences, 20 wholesalers and five producers. Some 9,508 jobs worth €198 million in wages and €434 million in tourist expenditure are also supported by County Kerry’s hospitality industry, as is €6.4 million in agri-output.
The new report was written by DCU Economist Tony Foley and was commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland to coincide with the launch of this year’s Support Your Local campaign which seeks to highlight the significant contribution that the drinks and hospitality industry makes to communities across Ireland.
The report makes it clear that pubs dominate employment in Ireland’s hospitality industry. The €7.1 billion turnover of the drinks and other hospitality sectors have a combined wage bill of €4.3 billion with Ireland’s 7,193 pubs, 2,406 licensed restaurants, 631 licensed hotels and 3,233 off-licences contributing to rural employment and supporting Ireland’s tourism offering for which it’s responsible for €5.8 billlion in expenditure. In addition, the drinks and hospitality industry in Ireland supports 178 wholesalers and 57 producers. It supported €99 million-worth of agri-outputs in 2015.
Tony Foley’s research also confirms the importance of the drinks industry and hospitality sector, particularly to Ireland’s agri-economy:
- Drinks manufacturing companies purchased €884 million in materials in 2015 including agricultural products and €564 million in services purchases
- The drinks industry uses almost 50,000 tonnes of Irish apples in production
- The drinks industry uses over 200,000 tonnes of Irish barley and malted barley
- The drinks industry uses about 300 million litres of Irish milk.
“The national economic impact of the drinks industry and wider hospitality sector is substantial,” noted Tony Foley at the launch of the report in Doheny & Nesbitt on Lwr Baggot Street in Dublin, “Of note is the fact that the drinks industry and wider hospitality sector makes a significant contribution to the economic life of towns and villages outside of urban centres. This is supported by the vast network of pubs, restaurants, hotels and independent off-licences which have a presence in every constituency across Ireland. One key driver for growth in the drinks industry is craft – with a huge increase in the number of breweries and distilleries opening across Ireland in recent years.”
In launching the report, Michael Storan, Campaign Manager for Support Your Local, said, “In 2016, the Support Your Local campaign will be continuing to highlight the positive contribution of the drinks and wider hospitality sector over the coming months. The drinks and hospitality industry continues to invest, innovate and grow.
“The huge increase in distilleries and breweries as identified in Tony Foley’s research indicates that we are at the cusp of huge change in the industry. When we say ‘Support Your Local’, we’re calling on communities to support your local farmer, support your local distillery or brewery, support your local pub, restaurant, hotel or independent off-licence and support your local community.”
In the report itself, DIGI Chairperson and Chief Executive of Heineken Ireland Maggie Timmoney, points to constituencies such as Donegal, Kerry and Wexford as having “particularly vibrant drinks and hospitality economies”.
This year’s Support Your Local campaign is backed by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland and is being run for the third year. All members of that group – including suppliers, pubs, restaurants, hotels and independent off-licences are asking people to recognise the massive contribution that the industry makes to local communities all over Ireland and are calling on everyone to ‘Support Your Local’.
Later in the year the campaign will take a look at entrepreneurs in the craft beer, craft whiskey and other sectors.
