THE PINT OF NO RETURN
» Taoiseach anxious to stay on path back to normality » Ticketing system in place for nightclubs ‘unworkable’ » Fianna Fail leader ‘enjoying himself’ at Cork Jazz Festival
THE Taoiseach has defended the new ticketing system for nightclubs as he appeared to rule out any suggestion of returning to lockdown.
Micheal Martin yesterday said “we don’t want to go back” to prohibitive restrictions as the country moves a step closer to normality.
The Taoiseach warned up to 150 people could be in intensive care with Covid by the end of November and he believed there could be an annual vaccine against the virus in the future.
The Fianna Fail leader admitted it was difficult to predict when we can return to normal, but he said he had better hopes for the New Year. The news came just hours after nightclubs reopened for the first time in 18 months, with bars and restaurants resuming late night service after almost 600 days. Mr Martin added: “They are increasing [case numbers], not just in Ireland but in other countries, so it’s very difficult to predict when we’re actually going to return to the kind of normality we experienced before the pandemic. “I always felt we had to get through this winter. We don’t want to go back [to lockdown]. I think the fact we’ve 95% fully vaccinated, the fact we’re now rolling out the booster campaign... gives us a lot of protection.
“There are different phases of the pandemic and we’re now in a new phase with an almost fully vaccinated population, boosters and so on. That means the kind of things you can do in that phase are different prior to what we can do in this phase.”
Speaking on Newstalk’s Anton Savage Show, the Taoiseach said those aged over 60 could expect a booster jab roughly six months after their second dose.
Mr Martin also revealed he wants significant change to the housing crisis before he hands the reins over to Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar next December. He added: “Housing is a key issue and we need to ensure people have housing they can afford to rent and afford to buy – and if you’re not in a position to buy that you’ll be able to get access to social housing. “We had the lockdown at the beginning of the year and we lost three or four months of house building – but the good news is it’s bouncing back and construction is up and running. “Housing is key, as is the reform of the health service.” While he wouldn’t say whether he could be spotted in a nightclub, Mr Martin said he had been “out enjoying himself” at the Cork Jazz Festival this weekend. The ticketing system for nightclubs was described as
unmanagable by industry representatives who likened it to a “Keystone Cops meets Father Ted” solution.
The Licensed Vintners Association said the guidelines, announced late on Friday, are “completely unworkable” and contradicted the very nature of nightlife.
Its CEO Donal O’keeffe described the requirement as “plain nuts” and “unworkable as it stands”.
Speaking on RTE’S Saturday With Katie Hannon, he said the guidelines came as a “bombshell” for the sector, adding: “We’ve had a shambolic process since Tuesday.”
All nightclub events must be ticketed from next week meaning attendance will have to be booked a minimum of 24 news@irishmirror.ie
We have had a shambolic process this week DONAL O’KEEFFE YESTERDAY