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Several ministers are exasperated by the latest self-inflicted controversy by the government after poor communications and confusion sparked angry criticism of its plan to require pubs and restaurants to retain individual records of meals consumed for up to 28 days.
Political sources said the controversy over the rules reflects the absence of a coherent new plan to deal with the Covid pandemic during the fall and winter, although one has been promised for September 14.
Restaurateurs and tavern keepers reacted furiously Thursday night to a new Statutory Instrument that requires them to keep individual records of meals consumed for up to 28 days.
The new regulation was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday and was designed to help the gardaí implement enforcement measures against non-compliant locals.
Several senior and junior ministers contacted by The Irish Times on Friday agreed to some extent with representatives of the bar and restaurant industries that the rules were introduced without notice, there were no guidelines on their operation and communications about the new rules were lacking.
“It is the latest in a series of self-caused calamities,” said a high-ranking minister, speaking on understanding anonymity.
“Right now, we are dealing with one mistake after another. The Government has not done what it has to be doing and that is a new plan for Covid
“We are applying rules to a system and a roadmap that are already out of date. We need a comprehensive plan on how to deal with the new phase of the outbreak and I am glad that the Taoiseach (Micheál Martin) has said that it will be ready by September 14th.
“Right now, we are responding to everything piecemeal.”
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s News at One, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said he did not understand the reaction of the Opposition and members of his own government to the regulations.
“I don’t understand why there is a problem. The regulations were posted online Tuesday. “
He said that pubs and restaurants are already keeping a receipt for VAT purposes and that these receipts are kept for up to six or seven years; regulations mean they only need to make it available for inspection for 28 days.
He also said the new regulations would help enforce the rules against “the small minority” who were breaking the rules.
Another minister from Fianna Fáil’s side said the controversy had been overblown and that the obligations in pubs and restaurants would not be as onerous as was being described.
“They are not going to track whether or not I had a lasagna two weeks ago,” said the Minister. There is a logic to it. All you need to do is prove that everyone ate and you can get it from the cash receipts that must be kept in any case.
“I know there is an active focus on everything that is said around Covid. But the criticism is a bit unfair and simplistic, “said the minister.
The Government and the Department of Health have moved to clarify the requirements in the legal instrument and to reassure bar owners and customers that individualized, named records would not be required.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, who issued the regulations, said: “The registry can be anonymized. It is not intended to link any customer to any meal. People have combined this requirement with the requirement to trace contacts separately from the (main party member) who gives their name for tracking purposes. “
Another minister said that sudden announcements of new measures without refining them or discussing them with stakeholders had happened far too often in the past month.
“The question that arises is whether Fianna Fáil is rusty after being out of government for so long.
“The pace you need to communicate internally and externally has changed enormously since you were last in government. They are not up to speed and that is an area where they are falling. “
Industry representatives said there was still confusion around the regulations despite clarifications and there was no advice yet on how they should be interpreted.
“There has been a lack of communications,” said Adrian Cummins, executive director of the Irish Restaurant Association. “After the cabinet signed on Tuesday, they should have explained what they were trying to do and the reason behind it.
“As it is the wording of the Statutory Instrument is confusing. It requires the local to keep a record of each member of a group and what they have eaten. That will have to be changed. “
Pádraig Cribben, executive director of the Irish Vintners Federation, said it was a classic case where the government dropped a bomb without guidance on how to deal with it.
“They didn’t tell anyone. There is no clarity. No interpretation has been given to us. It seems to me that those places that are serving only pizza to barely meet the requirements will find it much easier than those that serve full food, ”she said.
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