The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) is urging the government to introduce the Draught Rebate Scheme in next month’s Budget, describing it as a vital lifeline for those rural pubs most at risk of closure. “Unless government intervenes with the Draught Rebate, many of these small rural pubs will simply not survive. Without urgent action, the VFI warns that Ireland risks losing hundreds of pubs that underpin social and economic life in towns and villages. “If government fails to act, Budget 2026 will be remembered as the year rural pubs were abandoned,” said Crotty. “The Draught Rebate is the difference between survival and closure for thousands of small pubs that keep communities alive.”