Chef Darina Allen said protesters’ calls for the government ‘to wake up and listen to the people’ were right.

Business groups have criticised a lack of support in Budget 2025 for small to medium-sized businesses.

Since last September, 577 have been “forced to close their doors for good” since the rise in the VAT rate from nine to 13.5 per cent, according to the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland says there's been a drop of almost a third in the number of international visitors to these shores.