Almost 2,000 pubs have closed since 2005

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Almost 2 thousand pubs have closed since 2005 due to the cost of living and working in rural Ireland.

A new report from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland shows a continuing decline in the number of pubs across the country.

The sector is calling on the government to ease costs on small, rural businesses by reducing alcohol excise tax over the next two years.

Tony Foley, Associate Professor of Economics at DCU Buisness School, says there's no incentive for family-run pubs:

"In many ways, the rural pub problem is very like the small farm problem."

"That the existing publican or existing farmer is willing to operate the business without generating lots of money, but the successor then when they retire is not interested."

"That could be because they've gone to university and the return they make is not sufficient for them to do so."