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Parties in restaurants and pubs after 11pm will be prohibited this Christmas.
And going out to celebrate late at night on St. Stephen or celebrate the New Year are definitely not runners, if the government hasn’t shut down all hospitality by then.
Failure to comply could result in gardaí entering the compound to enforce the law.
The Department of Tourism has confirmed to the Irish Mirror that all restaurants in the country must have their homes cleared by 11:30 pm every night during the holidays.
This means that all food and drink must be served before 11pm. M., Which marks an abrupt end to a fun evening for hundreds of thousands of revelers each night.
It will also be another nail in the coffin for many companies that relied on getting extra cash in the boxes this Christmas to try to save something from a disastrous year.
The hospitality industry had been lobbying the government through Business Minister Leo Varadkar and Tourism Minister Catherine Martin to actually get additional opening hours for Christmas week.
(Image: Collins Photo Agency)
It was hoped, for example, that an overtime amnesty could be approved until 12:30 so that people could ring in the New Year at a restaurant or spend more time on Saint Stephen’s night with friends they might not they would have seen. from one end of the year to another.
But these pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
A spokesperson for the Department of Tourism said: “On November 27, the Government agreed on the approach to ease restrictions, including a gradual move to Level 3 nationwide, with a number of exceptions in place for the Christmas period.
“The exceptions for the Christmas period are designed to help people have a meaningful Christmas, though different from other years.
“The main goal is to stay safe and keep COVID-19 numbers low so that we can maintain the lowest possible level of restrictions in the New Year.
“Current regulations state that the relevant facilities must be clear of all customers before 11:30 pm.
“There are currently no proposals to change this provision.”
The government believes that ‘Covid loves to party’ and that by stopping serving early, this could slow the spread of the disease.
However, hospitality representatives have legitimately argued that kicking people out early will only lead to more house parties, which are not controlled environments and could lead to Covid spreading more easily.
Irish Restaurant Association Executive Director Adrian Cummins said: “This greatly destroys the soul of our industry.
“Hospitality is being a scapegoat.
“Our commitment shows that NPHET views hospitality differently from everyone else.”
He added: “And we have noted numerous times that if our industry closes, it will increase house parties, and especially on New Year’s Eve.”
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