Fork out €9 for a meal before you buy a drink
»»Confusion as drinkers told they must fork out €9 for meal »»Pub chiefs call for clarity over the plans for reopening
PEOPLE will have to pay €9 if they want to go for a pint – and that’s before the cost of a drink.
Strict new rules mean people will be forced to buy a “substantial meal” costing at least €9 even if they are not hungry.
Under confusing guidelines allowing pubs to reopen customers will also be required to prebook but this may entitle them to reduce the social distancing required to one metre.
But the two-metre rule will still apply to drinkers who walk in off the street for a pint.
When they do get served they will only be allowed to remain in the bar for 105 minutes, although it is unclear who will police these new restrictions.
It is now feared many pubs could stay closed on June 29 due to the strict coronavirus rules and the confusion caused by the way they were revealed by Failte Ireland. The Licensed Vintners Association and the Vintners Federation of Ireland hit out at what they called the “drip feed” release and which they said was sowing confusion throughout the industry.
They also questioned why Failte Ireland did not release the pub guidelines at the same time as those published for the rest of the hospitality sector. LVA chief Donall O’keeffe said: “The drip feed release of these guidelines has been handled in a completely arbitrary manner which is sowing confusion throughout the industry. Pubs who serve food are due to reopen on Monday week, but they still don’t have clarity as to what will be required of them.
“These businesses need time to get their premises ready, to ensure their pubs are fully compliant while offering a safe and comfortable environment for their customers and staff. To avoid
any further uncertainty, the guidelines for the industry should be immediately published in full.
“We need to know what will be required of pubs on June 29 and what will be required of pubs on July 20, it’s that simple.” Bars and restaurants serving food will finally be allowed to reopen at the end of the month, but only if they follow a number of new measures.
Among the proposed changes include reducing the social distancing limit from two metres to one metre and limiting customers to 105 minutes.
VFI chief Padraig Cribben added: “The absence of the detailed guidelines is generating speculation which will hamper the efforts of pubs getting ready to reopen.
“This has been a very uncertain time for the industry and instead of having a clear understanding of what will be required we’re left with a lot more questions than answers.
“It’s almost as if the guidelines are a puzzle which publicans have to try to piece together.”
Mr Cribben praised the new onemetre limit, but said it would still present a major challenge to publicans.
He told RTE’S Morning Ireland: “It’s still very restrictive. We had independent research done and even under a one-metre limit, seating capacity is reduced by 35%.
“So from a viability point of view it’s going to be very challenging, but it’s certainly considerably better than the alternative of two metres which would have reduced capacity to about 35%.”
Mr Cribben warned that many bars may choose to stay closed on June 29.
He added: “Individual operators will have to go away and decide if they can, or want to, operate within these guidelines. “There are many who will say July 20 is only three weeks away and they’re going to wait and see. There are many, and I’ve been talking to some who do food, who may or may not open on the 29th because there are still significant challenges even with one metre.”
THE public and publicans could be forgiven for thinking the new laws allowing the reopening of bars were made up by a group which had a few drinks too many.
That was of course not the case as the guidelines are the result of detailed planning by experts over a number of weeks.
Unfortunately the end result is a mishmash of contradictory rules which many publicans believe are unworkable.
The draft document, Covid-19: Guidance for Food Service Businesses, which was compiled by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre at the behest of Failte Ireland, does have much practical advice and guidelines.
But many of the rules are so convoluted that some pubs may decide to remain closed rather than implement them for around four weeks.
The manner in which the details were released also angered the industry which gives employment to around 50,000 workers.
Publicans have rightly complained they have been given little time to implement the changes required to reopen their businesses.
There is concern regarding the 105-minute rule and how it is going to be policed as it appears it will be down to staff to remove customers who have drink taken from the pub.
The rules in full are being released today and it is hoped that some of the concerns being expressed by the publicans will be addressed.