RAI CEO Adrian Cummins said in the submission that “Brexit is the hospitality industry’s most immediate threat in 2018 and that danger will follow into 2019" ; also that it's critical to the industry that the 9% tourism VAT rate remain in place until 2022 in order for the Irish economy to be competitive.

Restaurants employ 171,700 people in Ireland, and contribute 2B euro to the economy annually.