The Restaurants Association of Ireland is calling for a bailout of 1.8 billion euro to save the sector.
It says up to 50 per cent of restaurants in Ireland could close due to the coronavirus crisis.
The group wants a fund to cover a cut to the VAT rate, rent support, waiving local authority fees, and continuing to pay the wage subsidy scheme.
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But Paul Treyvaud, from Treyvaud's Restaurant in Killarney, says he would rather be supported by customers than the government:
