Government has launched ‘all-out attack’ to destroy Ireland’s pubs, bosses claim

The government has launched a “total attack” to destroy Ireland’s pubs, pub bosses have claimed.

The Cabinet is finalizing plans for the country to get out of Level Five restrictions and the hotel sector is expected to receive the green light, under strict conditions, to reopen on December 4.

However, so-called wet pubs, which have only been able to trade for five weeks since March, are likely to remain closed as per guidelines.

And hundreds more bars that have partnered with restaurants to offer € 9 meals will also be classified as ‘wet’ pubs if they don’t have their own kitchen and chef.

Donall O’Keefe, the executive director of the LVA, said: “This is the Government saying formally that they do not trust the publicans of this country to follow the guidelines, they do not trust the pub staff to implement them and they do not. Don’t trust pub patrons to behave well

“The government is pushing a message of ‘individual responsibility’, but when it comes to pubs and pub patrons, it seems they are very happy to deny us such rights and freedoms.

“The government’s own guidelines have the same social distancing measures and time limits for ‘wet’ pubs, food pubs and restaurants.

“However, they are enforcing policies that will only keep ‘wet’ pubs closed and ensure that more venues are classified as ‘wet’ pubs. If all these different types of places have to have the same social distancing, time limits, and only implement table service, how is one more dangerous than the other?

It has been estimated that up to 100,000 jobs in the hospitality sector could be permanently lost by the end of this year due to the Covid-19 crisis.

And more than a fifth of Irish pubs face a struggle to cover costs of up to € 2,000 a week despite their businesses being closed.

O’Keefe added: “Where is the evidence that ‘wet’ pubs pose a greater risk than restaurants or food pubs?

“Where is the evidence that people are more likely to get Covid-19 if they don’t have a € 9 meal?

“Where is the evidence that people are less likely to be infected if the food they eat was prepared in a dedicated kitchen rather than from a nearby pizzeria?

“There is no data to support these measures, this is a political decision with the Government showing that they are happy to destroy the pubs in this country.

“That Government and its NPHET partners will stop at nothing to crush our industry. His actions are demonizing a profession that now fights for its survival.

Meanwhile, the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) said speculations that pubs will only be able to open if they have a chef and a kitchen are “demonizing a trade.

Padraig Cribben, VFI’s chief executive, accused the government and its NPHET partners of stopping at nothing to crush their industry and called the latest rules a “total attack” on the industry.

He added: “It’s hard to overstate how angry publicans are right now.

“They feel demonized by the leaks coming from the government, that no matter what regulations and guidelines they put in place, it won’t be enough for NPHET, which clearly has an anti-pub agenda.

“The facts are clear, pubs are safer than restaurants according to the Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC).

“The government reopening guidelines recognize both pubs and restaurants as ‘controlled environments’, so there is no logic to allow restaurants to open and reject pubs with equal rights.”