COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN/PALMERSTOWN/NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

QUESTION NO. 17

QUESTION: Councillor Joanna Tuffy

To ask the Chief Executive Officer for an update on any applications for street furniture licences or outdoor furniture grants made in Lucan, and what promotion of these initiatives has been made to businesses in the area, in particular the village.

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council is accepting applications for financial support from a new scheme for tourism and hospitality businesses in South Dublin County.

Aimed at assisting the sector increase their outdoor dining capacity, South Dublin County Council is encouraging local hospitality and tourism providers to apply for grant funding under Fáilte Ireland’s new Outdoor Dining Enhancement Investment Scheme.

Grants of up to €4,000 are available under the Outdoor Dining Enhancement and Accessories for Tourism and Hospitality Business Scheme to support hospitality businesses with?upgrading venues and public spaces and implementing weather-proofing solutions to facilitate year-round outdoor dining.? Items covered under the scheme are outdoor tables, chairs, umbrellas, electric heaters, screen/windbreaks, plant stands and wooden platforms.

The scheme is open to attractions, hotels, restaurants, cafes, public houses or other tourism and hospitality business establishments where food is sold for consumption on the premises. The scheme will provide for up to 75% of the ex-VAT cost of equipment purchased/installed with a maximum allowable contribution of up to €4,000 per applicant.

Funding under the scheme is only available to existing businesses and all applicants will be required to comply with planning codes, legislative requirements, and other compliance requirements. If an applicant intends to place outdoor seating & accessories in a public space, they must first apply for a Section 254 license by initially contacting the County Promotion Unit on 01-414 9000 or e-mail econdev@sdublincoco.ie who will work through the process with the applicant. No S.254 is required if the applicant is placing accessories within their own business premises.

The scheme is open for applications until 30/9/2021. Full terms and conditions are available on the application webpage by searching ‘Outdoor Dining’ on South Dublin County Council’s website or by licking here https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/business/enterprise/business-support/outdoor-seating-and-accessories-scheme/

The scheme has been highlighted through press and radio coverage, social media posts on the Council’s website and to local elected members though e-mails and presentations at various committees. Planned additional promotion includes further social media, bus shelter adverts, press adverts, an article in South Dublin Today summer edition which is available to 100k homes and premises in South Dublin, and sharing the information to hospitality sector through business links.

Currently, the Council has received eight applications from businesses in the Lucan area for financial assistance under this scheme with three applications so far progressing to conditional letters of offer at the time of writing (17/05/21).