Outdoor Seating & Accessories for Tourism & Hospitality Business Scheme

Scheme Overview

The focus of this scheme is to provide a level of financial support to tourism and hospitality businesses, in Dublin City to purchase or upgrade equipment to provide additional outdoor seating and, therefore, increase their outdoor dining capacity for the summer of 2021. This scheme will financially assist and support independent tourism and hospitality business owners to create outdoor dining experiences in a regulated and accessible manner.  Funding under the scheme is only available to existing businesses.

All applicants will be required to comply with planning codes, legislative requirements and other compliance requirements.

Who is Eligible?

• 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.
• In order to place furniture in public places;
  •  Applicants must first have applied for and been granted an Annual Street Furniture Licence from Dublin City Council under section 254 of the Planning & Development Act 2000. You can apply for this license here. 
  • Or have applied for and been granted a Temporary Seating Permit under Section 71 of Roads Act 1993. You can apply for this license here.

  • If an application is being made where a business wishes to extend their business outdoors on their own private space, their current planning permission must allow them to do so and if it not, they will need to apply for planning permission before doing so.  You can check details of any planning permissions by accessing the following link.  OR email your query to [email protected]

• Submit an up to date Tax Clearance Number

What Items are considered eligible for the scheme:

• Tables
• Chairs
• Umbrellas / canopies
• Electric heaters
• Screens/windbreaks
• Plant stands
• Wooden Platform

The tables and chairs or other furniture shall be of robust and stable construction to prevent movement in adverse weather conditions and be agreed with Dublin City Council.

Screens/windbreakers must be agreed with Dublin City Council and will be subject to the following conditions:

• Screens to be plain, coloured or neutral canvas type, not more than 1 metre high, spanning between or framed by simple metal type posts.
• Screens to be manufactured from flame/fire retardant material.
• Base plates or weighted bases to screening posts must not extend outside the licensed area.
• All screens, posts and bases must be demountable.
• Screens must be sufficiently robust to prevent overturning in adverse weather conditions.
• No advertising apart from the name of the premises to be used on the screens, without the permission of Dublin City Council.

Items purchased after 20th April, 2020 will be eligible up to the value of the grant available.

Payments will be made to approved applicants on submission of receipts for items purchased and an accompanying photograph.  Applicants must also confirm that the placement of the street furniture is in accordance with the terms of the licence to ensure that public walkways are not impeded.

Amount of Grant Available

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.

Payments will be subject to funding being made available.

Privacy & Data Protection

Personal information collected by Dublin City Council is done so in order for us to process your application. Legally we can process this information as it is necessary for us to comply with our statutory/legal obligations. The protection of your personal data is a key priority for the Council and your data will be processed in line with our Privacy policy which is available at:

https://www.dublincity.ie/using-dublincityie/privacy-statement

If you require further information regarding our Privacy Statement, you can contact us at [email protected] or write to us at: Data Protection Officer, Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, D08 RF3F.

Freedom of Information

Applicants should be aware that, under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, information provided by them in this Application may be liable to be disclosed.  Applicants are asked to consider if any of the information provided by them in their Application should not be disclosed because of its confidentiality or commercial sensitivity.  If Applicants consider that certain information is not to be disclosed because of its confidentiality or commercial sensitivity, Applicants must, when providing such information, clearly identify such information and specify the reasons for its confidentiality or commercial sensitivity.  If Applicants do not identify information as confidential or commercial sensitive, it is liable to be released in response to a Freedom of Information request without further notice or consultation with the Applicant.  Dublin City Council will, where possible, consult with the Applicant about confidential or commercial sensitive information so identified before making a decision on a request received under Freedom of Information.

Applications for Funding Timeline

The scheme will be open from 13/4/2021 for applications and will close on 30/9/2021.

Apply Online Here 

For queries, email: outdoordiningenhancementscheme@dublincity.ie