The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) has warned that nightclubs and late bars will be forced to hand over more than €2.2m to the Government before they can open.
Nightclubs and late bars have been shut - by Government order - for 585 consecutive days due to Covid-19 restrictions. Nightclubs will need to start applying for their Special Exemption Orders from next week as they are expected to open on October 22.
These orders are granted by the courts, but each Special Exemption Order requires a payment of €410 to the Government for every late night of trading.
The LVA said that licensed premises generally seek to secure special exemption orders for six week blocks at a time. The LVA estimates that on average the more than 300 nightclubs