CASE STUDIES

NOEL ANDERSON, PUBLICAN AND CHAIR OF THE LICENSED VINTNERS ASSOCIATION

THERE’S absolute mass confusion all over the country. I represent nightclubs as well as pubs and I’m trying to figure out what exactly they’re allowed to do. There was no engagement with us regarding how this reopening will work. We’ve been left in a very odd scenario where we’re 60 hours away from Friday and don’t know if the bar in clubs can remain open. Does it mean you can go to a nightclub and snog the face off someone on the dance floor, but can’t sit and read a newspaper fully vaccinated at the bar in a pub? Clubs don’t hold much furniture; is the Government saying everyone must be seated to get a drink? Nightclubs want to be able to trade normally again, so if they can’t use their bar counter, they’re dead in the water. The Government has left it until the 11th hour. People in the industry have been left without work for nearly 600 days. I wouldn’t blame them [for interpreting guidelines in favour of their business].

BUZZ O’NEILL-MAXWELL, EVENT MANAGER AND CLUB PROMOTER

WE expected to get clarity and guidance yesterday but haven’t received anything other than what we already knew. We are prepared to open this weekend, but if there will be restrictions around what we can do, it’s going to create a big problem. Anything less than 100% capacity doesn’t work for us financially. And who is going to want to attend a half-full nightclub? During the press conference, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste completely contradicted each other. Leo Varadkar said they know people who are planning to run events this weekend will be crestfallen. Micheál Martin said nightclubs will open at 100%. The only thing we gleaned from that shambolic conference was that there will be different guidelines for different nightlife sectors. We’re facing down the barrel of a situation that could see very messy scenes across the city centre with no one knowing what to do.