Seán Collender

Seán Collender, 26th President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, representing Ireland's Restaurants, Cafés & Gastro Pubs - Term commenced November 2024

[Seán Collender @PresidentRAI]

Very impressive launch of @TourismIreland marketing plans for 2025. Restaurants & cafes continue to play a key role in the success of Irelands inbound tourism. #TI2025 @AliceManserghTI @RAI_ie @adriancummins

[Restaurants Association of Ireland @RAI_ie]

The Restaurants Association of Ireland 🇮🇪 joins with @LVADublinPubs @VFIpubs @IHFcomms @Irishtourismind in calling for these measures to be implemented in the Programme for Government so as to support hospitality and tourism

[Restaurants Association of Ireland @RAI_ie]

We're excited to welcome Seán Collender as the new president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland!

Seán, co-owner of the Kinara Group which operates restaurants in Clontarf, Malahide, and Ranelagh began his two-year term as RAI president last week at the Restaurants Association of Ireland President���s Dinner, succeeding outgoing president Paul Lenehan of Hartes Of Kildare.

In his inaugural address as the 26th RAI President, Collender reaffirmed his commitment to championing the needs of Ireland’s hospitality sector and wider SME community, highlighting his determination to secure policies that genuinely support the industry’s sustainability and growth.

We look forward to working with Seán and wish him the very best during his term as RAI President!

[Adrian Cummins 🇮🇪🇪🇺🇵🇸 @adriancummins]

Nearly every Political party has referenced a vat reduction or PRSI reduction or both in their manifestos for Business today.

Thankfully the Hospitality Representatives kept the focus on the real issues impacting the sector.

Manifesto promises must be delivered upon by the next Government and we will be holding it to account.

Yes it’s disappointing Vat wasn’t reduced in the Budget.

I feel for those businesses who have closed over the past number of months and if these manifesto proposals were implemented during the last 12 months , many of those businesses could have lasted.

We are thankful for the entire sector who have supported our lobbying campaigns, joined our rally outside the Dail and united behind the industry representatives.

The handful who shout from the sidelines, pontificate and become the hurler on the ditch are the few.

We are solidified around a strong message and phenomenal support from the sector which represents 20, 000 businesses and 270,000 livelihoods.

The next phase will be inclusion of a new Reduced Permanent Vat rate for Food led Businesses & PRSI reduction in the programme for Government

[Seán Collender @PresidentRAI]

A cracking speech from Lord Mayor and FG general election candidate @GeogheganCllr to open our #RAIConference24 this morn.

It’s pivotal that we have politicians like James in key positions to support our industry which is heart/soul of towns and cities, including our capital.

[Restaurants Association of Ireland @RAI_ie]

Positive words here from Taoiseach @SimonHarrisTD who says more action will be taken to support restaurants, cafés and other hospitality businesses struggling with the cost of doing business. This rhetoric must be matched with action, however, and the 270,000 people employed in tourism and hospitality will be keeping a sharp eye on general election manifestos and the subsequent Programme for Government in the coming weeks.

[Seán Collender @PresidentRAI]

This is our reality. The new norm. #brokenmodel

https://t.co/Vbru6r1V10

[Adrian Cummins 🇮🇪🇪🇺🇵🇸 @adriancummins]

🙏 One week on from our 'Hospitality Sector in Crisis' Day of Action in Dublin, I want to thank the 1,800 of you who came out to support the cause and to all of you who couldn't make it that have sent messages of support since. [Thank you also to our fantastic MC on the day, Ivan Yates!]

Budget 2025 was deeply disappointing for the hospitality sector. Countless struggling businesses - many on the brink of closure - were waiting for support from the Government that never came.

But the Budget represents the beginning, not the end. And that was the main message of the rally last Tuesday organised by the Restaurants Association of Ireland, VFI, ISME and other small business representative groups.

The upcoming general election is next up on the agenda - making sure that policies that are pro-hospitality industry and pro-SMEs more generally are front and centre in the manifestos and subsequent Programme for Government.

Ní neart go cur le chéile!

[Adrian Cummins 🇮🇪🇪🇺🇵🇸 @adriancummins]

🚨Powerful

The Irish hospitality sector at breaking point: ‘I feel like I’m neglecting my mental and physical health’

From VAT increases to rising labour costs, business owners talk about sleepless nights over the uncertainty of working in the sector

https://t.co/OP9ngzlSVp

[Restaurants Association of Ireland @RAI_ie]

The Irish Times asked those who own and operate independent hospitality businesses in Ireland to share how things are going for them. The piece makes for incredible reading.

Here are some of the responses:

- This will be the first year in 58 we’ve not managed to turn a profit

- We are giving it one more year to see if things will improve or change

- I cannot just let it go without a fight

https://t.co/GQHHPFj5EE

[Restaurants Association of Ireland @RAI_ie]

🚨Restaurants Association of Ireland launches 10-point manifesto🚨

Following last week's rally by the hospitality sector and small business community which was attended by over 1,800 people and in advance of an imminent general election, the RAI has launched a manifesto to fix the broken economic model facing restaurants, cafés and food-serving pubs in Ireland.

CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, @adriancummins, told last week's rally that the Association's 3,000 members will be keeping a close eye on the focus placed on the 20,000 businesses and 270,000 livelihoods supported by the sector in the political parties' respective manifestos.

Separately, in the shorter term, the RAI has requested an urgent meeting with party leaders Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin, along with Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke, to collaborate on a suite of immediate and meaningful policies to avoid an otherwise inevitable tsunami of hospitality closures over the winter period.

For more info on our 10-point manifesto, visit https://t.co/p9ZVCU2w5s

[Char Food & Drink @Charfoodguide]

Members of the hospitality industry marched on Leinster House today to demand support for small and medium-sized businesses that are struggling to stay afloat under mounting financial pressure.

[Restaurants Association of Ireland @RAI_ie]

👏 Thank you to everyone who participated in the Hospitality Day of Action yesterday!

With over 1,800 restaurateurs and hospitality SMEs joining our march and rally to Leinster House, we sent a powerful message to the Government: our industry demands meaningful support.

In the weeks and months to come, with a general election on the horizon, the Restaurants Association of Ireland will continue to make the case for our industry in the halls of the Oireachtas, in the media and across the country and will keep you up to date around our activities in that regard.

#HospitalityDayofAction #SMEDayofAction #VAT9

[Adrian Cummins 🇮🇪🇪🇺🇵🇸 @adriancummins]

🚨Breaking

Taoiseach ⁦@SimonHarrisTD⁩ said in the Dail yesterday he has instructed Minister ⁦@peterburkefg⁩ to engage with the sectors to review hospitality & retail VAT laws.

[Barry Whyte @BarryWhyte85]

Hundreds of business owners and workers from the hospitality and retail sectors have turned out for a protest in Dublin.

They’ve marched form Mount Street, up by the Department of Finance towards Leinster House were protesters have gathered now.

The message from everyone I’ve spoke to is clear “we fear we will have to close in the coming months”.

[Will Goodbody @willgoodbody]

Protestors now listening to speakers from across the sector at a rally outside Leinster House. Paul Lenehan, president of the Restaurants Association said they had been left with no other choice but to protest.

[Nuacht TG4 @NuachtTG4]

Bhí slua mór ón earnáil fáilteachais agus turasóireachta i mbun agóide i mBÁC faoin easpa tacaíochta, a deir siad atá ar fáil ón Rialtas agus na costaisí arda atá le n-íoc acu. Dúirt an Taoiseach go bhfuil plé ar bun maidir le leasú a dhéanamh ar an gcáin bhreisluacha.

[Restaurants Association of Ireland @RAI_ie]

📢 "Let's be clear, this isn't because of a lack of support from the consumer, or a lack of effort on our part - it's because the cost of doing business has spiralled out of control and the Government has refused to take meaningful action to address this."

Today, Paul Lenehan, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, addressed the large crowd gathered to support the hospitality industry at our #HospitalityDayofAction

#SMEDayofAction #VAT9

[Seán Collender @PresidentRAI]

“We are busy but we are not making any money. We are not going to be millionaires out of it. We just want to be able to pay our mortgages,” RAI Council member, Eimear Killian, said to cheers.

https://t.co/QgpS2hm2oW

[Micheál Ó Cadhain 🇮🇪🇵🇸Michael Coyne @CoynesGastropub]

I’m driving from one side of Ireland to the other for today’s Hospitality Day of Action protest in Dublin.

If you love your Pubs, Restaurants, Gastropubs & Cafés and are in Dublin today please come join us in our protest at 1pm at the Pepper Cannister Church, Upper Mount Street.

Ní neart go cur le chéile 💪

Well done @adriancummins @RAI_ie @VFIpubs for organising this march 🤝

#Budget25 #Vat9 #Hospitality #Protest #Ireland #Election2024