Drinks lobby urges trading green light

DRINKS firms have launched a new campaign to end the lockdown of Irish bars.

Drinks Ireland called for boozers to not to be used as political footballs in the Covid-19 fight.

The #Openingtime campaign is supported by the LVA and VFI and urges the Government to ensure “wet pubs” are allowed to reopen in a safe and sustainable manner to preserve jobs.

It’s estimated 3,500 pubs across Ireland remain closed, which is 60% of all pubs. Drinks Ireland chief Patricia Callan, below, said: “We are calling on the Government to avoid any “stop and start” with reopening pubs. “This would be bad for businesses and also bad for our economy and society.”

Donal O’keefe, of the LVA, added: “Where outbreaks do occur, in pubs or other businesses, they should be managed, as opposed to resulting in blanket decisions to shut down an industry.”