‘ROGUE’ PUBS ARE FLOUTING THE RULES ON MEALS
As many bars unable to open for three weeks...
WELL-ESTABLISHED bar and restaurant owners are alarmed over a number of rogue pubs flouting the Covid rules.
Thousands of public houses have to remain closed for another three weeks to ensure the safety of their customers, while others have opened but are ignoring the guidelines on food and safety.
With increased concerns that Ireland could go the way of parts of Britain – forced back into lockdown due to a surge in Covid-19 cases – business owners are asking why the authorities are not enforcing their own rules.
They fear that months of hardship by the public may come to nothing if clear public health rules are not
adhered to. One publican, who preferred to remain anonymous, told how he, and many other responsible publicans, were staying shut to stick by the guidelines – but after months of lockdown they felt they were being punished for doing the right thing.
Industry chiefs said they are aware that some rogue pubs aren’t sticking to the guidelines, with many disregarding the time limit and food requirements since they reopened on Monday.
Publicans and staff are deeply worried, as it seems the regulatory bodies have washed their hands of inspecting pubs and restaurants to ensure customers are complying with coronavirus guidelines.
The Health and Safety Authority, which has been charged by the State with ensuring the return to work safely protocols are being followed in workplaces, has said it will not be checking whether pubs are serving the required €9 meals or ensuring customers only stay the allowed 105 minutes.
The Irish Mail on Sunday reported at the weekend how the HSE simply told reporters to contact the Department of Health about enforcement.
Publicans fear the lack of enforcement will encourage the type of social activity that has seen the Covid-19 threat re-emerge in other countries that have come out of lockdown. And, as if to back up their fears, our own Irish Daily Mail reporter visited one south Dublin pub yesterday and ordered two glasses of wine without being asked to order food.
She also stayed beyond the 105minute limit with staff oblivious.
At another well-known pub on the outskirts of Dublin city, patrons told the Mail that bar staff did not insist that food was ordered when they arrived for drinks after pre-booking.
The group of five people at this busy pub were also informed they could stay for either 90 minutes or three hours. They opted for the three-hour slot. ‘We’d been told there would be no more than five people in the toilets at any time or five in the smoking area. But this seemed to go out the window as the night wore on,’ said one of the group. A number of examples of pubs flouting restrictions also surfaced on social media yesterday.
Several people posted photos of till receipts, purportedly showing customers paying for huge amounts of alcohol and a token amount of food.
One photo showed a receipt for a Leinster pub in which a person allegedly paid over €200 for dozens of pints and food for just two people. The receipt was dated for
Monday night. A Dublin pub posted a photo of a receipt in which a person allegedly paid for over 30 drinks, costing nearly €200, and one small plate of food valued at less than €12.
The bar posted the photo of the receipt with the caption: ‘A delicious substantial meal was had’ with a smiley face emoticon.
However, a manager at the pub later insisted it was a joke photo from another bar.
The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) branded the disregard of restrictions as ‘reckless and irresponsible’ while the Restaurants Association of Ireland said it need to be stopped immediately.
Restaurants Association chief Adrian Cummins said these pubs are risking Ireland’s return from lockdown. ‘The return to business has been hard fought and you have a bar behaving like this? If it’s supposed to be marketing, it shows very poor hindsight and if they act like cowboys, they need to be called to a halt very quickly,’ he told the Mail.
‘When their licence comes up for renewal in September, the Gardaí should raise this – it will help focus minds very quickly,’ he said.
Mr Cummins said it risked a shutdown after so many people in the bar trade have been left without employment.
Two Mail reporters, on Monday,
‘Seemed to go out the window’ ‘It’s more work for staff’
observed one city centre Dublin pub serving drinks to customers as soon as they came in the door, without any meal being offered or ordered. When contacted, a manager at the pub strongly rejected any violation of the rules.
‘We have a lot more administration to do and we have to be down on customers, making sure they do order a meal, we do enforce it. It’s more work for staff at a time when business is only picking back up,’ she said.
As she spoke, she addressed two customers who came in the door and told them they had to order food if they wanted to drink.