The Health Minister admits that the ‘crazy’ food reception law cannot be enforced in restaurants

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has admitted that no one will enforce his new law on food receipts in restaurants after critics called it “crazy.”

The rule requires restaurants and bars serving food to keep track of meals ordered by punters for 28 days.

It unleashed a tsunami of outrage and ridicule from fed up business owners struggling to meet the guidelines and make a living.

Cabinet sources have described it as another “calamity” for the coalition, as it makes “mistake after mistake.”

Within hours of unveiling the regulation that aims to ensure that people eat “a substantial meal” while away, Minister Donnelly insisted that restaurants should not worry about it.

His cabinet colleague, Minister Simon Harris, also said that the government “didn’t care if you went to have the banoffee” with your meal.

“As for law enforcement, no one is going to walk into any restaurant asking for proof that a restaurant serves substantial meals, we know that restaurants serve substantial meals,” said Minister Donnelly.

“It doesn’t really apply to restaurants. No one is ever going to question whether a restaurant is serving food.

“We all know that there is a minority of pubs, not restaurants, pubs that disobey the rules and pretend to serve food.

“The only place this will be used is if there is clearly a violation where a pub has been opened and the rules are being broken, which can be enforced to say ‘well, we don’t think you’re serving meals and we just need to see the cash receipts’.

Minister Donnelly said the law would require restaurants and pubs to keep a copy of box receipts for dinners to show that they are “substantial meals, like you would have for noon or main dinner.”

He added that the law is only temporary, as it will no longer be necessary when “wet bars” are allowed to open.

That will be reviewed on September 14, but most publicans believe they will be forced to stay closed again under a new roadmap.

“These are not going to be in place for long. Once the wet bars are open, this is no longer a problem, ”he told RTE.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris defended the plan under fire as “common sense.”

He insisted the government was not seeking details about customers’ menu options.

“The government doesn’t care if you had dessert or a cup of coffee, or if you went for the banoffee or, as a bartender asked me last night, if you switch from garlic sauce to pepper sauce,” he said. .

The Irish Restaurant Association criticized the move saying it came out of nowhere and has piled an additional burden on its lobbyists.

The Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) described it as “the bureaucracy run amok.”

A spokesperson for the Licensed Vintners Association added: “The Government has stated that these measures will help reopen pubs that are still closed.

“How do pubs and restaurants help by taking note of all the food that customers are provided for 28 days to pubs that are still closed because they don’t serve food?

“Common sense would have seen the government announce a suitable plan for pubs months ago.”

The opposition parties launched more attacks on the law yesterday.

The co-leader of the Social Democrats, Catherine Murphy, called for a review of the “silly” regulation.

Labor Brendan Howlin warned that the Gardai would be too strained to enforce the law.

Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan criticized the treatment of the hotel sector compared to the meat industry.

“Right now it seems like a Big Brother case for Restaurants and No Hassle for the meat factories,” he said.

“The new regulations that require restaurants to keep detailed records of what customers have eaten for 28 days contrast with the complete absence of measures to combat Covid 19 in meat factories.

“Meat factories have been a major source of Covid clusters for many months, but there are no new regulations for meat barons.

“Right now there are only 69 HSA inspectors to inspect more than 270,000 businesses. There is no government action here, but heaven help you if you don’t eat your pub dinner! “

Tipperary innkeeper TJ McInerney held a socially estranged vigil to announce that a delegation would travel to Leinster House on Tuesday to voice the concerns of the county’s vintners.

The owner of TJ Mac’s in Mullinahone also revealed how he had received an unsolicited letter asking if he wanted to sell his license.

“This is what happened to vulture funds before in this country,” he told the Irish Mirror.

“This is kicking a man when he’s down. I have spoken in the media about the struggles and they think I am starving so they offer to buy the license. They think I’m on my knees.

“He’s kicking people while they’re down. While the Government is starving us, these people are taking advantage because they know that the Government will not help. They know that people are afraid. “