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The Government has been asked to review the ban on live music and dancing at weddings as part of the current Level 3 Covid-19 measures.
According to revised reopening guidelines issued by Fáilte Ireland, in accordance with the Government’s public health councils and protocol, up to 25 guests can attend a wedding ceremony and reception.
The reception must be a dinner only and no live music or dancing is allowed.
Live music and dancing were allowed during the Level 3 restrictions above.
Cathal Molloy, founder of the Wedding Band Association, says the new restriction “is having a very, very hard impact on couples and bands” and is calling on the government to reconsider the measure.
He says the WBA already has its own guidelines, which have been updated, and all members have completed the Covid-19 officer training courses.
Molloy, who is also a musician, says that “since this measure was implemented, you can see the reaction of couples, so music is an integral part of the day.”
He says that “the couples are devastated” and all the members of the Association have “suffered a great financial blow” with many reservations canceled.
He says bands are mindful of public health advice, “so we just want to try a common sense approach to allowing live music at weddings.”
Molloy says that “a wedding without your first dance just doesn’t make sense.”
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Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly says the government should review the rules.
She says she has been “talking to couples who postponed their weddings two and three times in some cases this year and cut their weddings down.”
O’Reilly says couples have described the restriction of live music and dancing as “petty.”
The Minister of Continuing and Higher Education, Simon Harris, says that “the virus does not know what event the music is in, so the risk would be the same regardless of the event.”
He says that “the Government always keeps all their plans under review. We listen very carefully to Dr. Tony Holohan and NPHET and of course our public health experts can consider any proposal.”
Still, Harris calls on people to stick to public health guidelines.
He says that “we have come so far in this country in relation to our battle against Covid-19.”
“My message to people would really be to stand firm, difficult and all the way, with public health councils, because we could be approaching early 2021, the beginning of the end of what has been the most horrible time for people.
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