{"id":22527,"date":"2021-07-26T11:20:28","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T15:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22527"},"modified":"2021-07-28T13:22:17","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:22:17","slug":"indoor-hospitality-reopens-in-ireland-for-first-time-in-over-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22527","title":{"rendered":"Indoor Hospitality Reopens In Ireland For First Time In Over A Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

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More than 3,000 pubs reopened on Monday, with 25,000 staff signing off the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and heading back to work (PA Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>The reopening of indoor hospitality marks the end of an \u201cextremely challenging\u201d period that began in March 2020, according to Ireland\u2019s publicans.<\/p>\n

Indoor dining in pubs and restaurants reopened across the country on Monday for those with proof of immunity to Covid-19, marking a significant step for the hospitality sector.<\/p>\n

More than 3,000 pubs reopened on Monday, with 25,000 staff signing off the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and heading back to work. For many, it is the first time they have opened their doors since March 2020.<\/p>\n

VFI president Paul Moynihan, who runs his family pub in Donard, Co Wicklow, said: \u201cThe reopening of indoor hospitality marks the end of an extremely challenging 16-month period that began on 15th March 2020 when all pubs were instructed to close in the face of the advancing pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s only fair that pubs with no outdoor space are allowed to reopen. While outdoor trading has been a success for some publicans, reopening indoors gives businesses a chance to make ends meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the VFI has also cautioned that new guidelines from Government designed to curb the spread of Covid-19 \u201cwill make it very difficult for publicans and staff to manage their indoor businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur message to customers is simple: Please work with us as we get used to these new guidelines,\u201d Padraig Cribben, VFI chief executive said.<\/p>\n

Mick Ryan, owner of Ha\u2019penny Bridge Inn in Temple Bar, welcomed customers indoors for first time since the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Mr Ryan, who has owned the Dublin pub for 31 years, said he is struggling to hire staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t get the staff back to work. The PUP (Pandemic Unemployment Payment) is ridiculous. We can\u2019t get the staff back,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t get someone on the door checking people in, so we will have to go in and out checking it ourselves. We have four staff, but we used to have six.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no cleaners \u2013 we can\u2019t get the cleaning contractor back because they have no staff, so we are doing the cleaning ourselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been selling drink outside for a few weeks and before that we sold takeaway pints. You have to do something, you can\u2019t sit around every day,\u201d Mr Ryan continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the pubs in Temple Bar are struggling for staff, restaurants are struggling for staff. It\u2019s a problem all over the country. People have gone on to do other things and I don\u2019t blame them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a bar upstairs that we spent \u20ac150,000 renovating before the lockdown that was never opened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking this afternoon, Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin urged the public to remain careful in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have made good progress in the last six months in reopening sectors of society, so we want to protect that progress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we are reopening indoor dining, we still have to be very, very careful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a Delta variant that is highly transmissible and we have to protect ourselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ideal scenario is a continued rollout of the vaccination program, combined with sensible, precautionary behavior on all our part.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where we can defeat this virus.\u201d<\/p>\n

It comes as more than 5.5 million doses of the Covid-19 have administered across Ireland.<\/p>\n

Almost 70 per cent of the population is now fully vaccinated, and almost 80 per cent has received the first of two doses.<\/p>\n

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said: \u201cA huge thanks to all the vaccinators and the staff in our vaccine centers across the country, as well as the GPs, pharmacists and all involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

The guidelines for the reopening of indoor hospitality were signed off by Government late on Sunday night.<\/p>\n

Last-minute changes to the regulations require pubs and restaurants to take the contact details for the lead person at a table, after proposed guidelines stated that details of every customer were needed for contact tracing.<\/p>\n

Patrons will be required to produce a copy of a Covid certificate to show they are either fully vaccinated or have recovered from the virus in the last six months.<\/p>\n

The EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) or the HSE Covid-19 Vaccination Record can be used for proof of vaccination status when entering pubs, restaurants, cafes or food courts.<\/p>\n

There are no time limits on indoor dining but premises must be clear of all customers by 11.30pm.<\/p>\n

A maximum of six people over the age of 13 are allowed at each table, however the limit does not include children aged 12 or younger. The total combined capacity at a table cannot exceed 15.<\/p>\n

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