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The Government agreed tonight to grant greater enforcement powers to the Gardaí for pubs that do not meet Covid-19 public health guidelines.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar confirmed the news after a cabinet meeting tonight.
The main purpose of the bill is to grant An Garda Síochána additional enforcement powers in relation to bars and restaurants that sell alcohol, which do not comply with Covid-19 health regulations.
Speaking on the news tonight, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said:
“Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, An Garda Síochána has taken extensive measures in support of public health restrictions.
“Gardaí has adopted a graduated police response to the pandemic: engaging, educating, encouraging, and only as a last resort by enforcing relevant emergency regulations.
“Garda checks since early July have found that the vast majority of licensed establishments comply with both health regulations and licensing laws. But the unfortunate reality is that some licensed establishments are breaking the law, putting the health of their customers and the general public at risk. “
Minister McEntee said that with the new legislation she wants to make sure Garda has the powers it needs to “act swiftly” to deal with locals who have violated Covid-19 regulations.
He also said that the bill will complement the additional regulations that the Department of Health is preparing, which will place obligations on authorized premises in relation to the service of food and beverages.
Support package
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe announced an additional support package of € 16 million to help pubs, bars and clubs.
They revealed a new restart plus grant that will provide a 40 percent top-up to those businesses that have remained closed but plan to reopen in the future.
They can now receive a minimum of € 5,600 and a maximum of € 35,000 under the reset plus scholarship.
Speaking of the ad, the Tánaiste said:
“It’s been a really tough few months for bar owners. Our publicans are making a massive sacrifice to protect their communities and the government is determined to help.
“This package, in addition to the grants and subsidies that are already available, will help bar owners with the expenses related to preparing for the reopening. We want to make sure our pubs are ready to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. “
It has been a really difficult few months and today’s news will be very disappointing to publicans. This package will help pub owners with closing costs and prepare for the reopening https://t.co/ACUx1G8Ln6
– Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) August 28, 2020
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe spoke about some of the other measures that were announced tonight:
“The Government is well aware of the unique circumstances bar owners find themselves in as a result of Covid-19.
“The exemption of court fees, excise duties and stamp duties in relation to license renewals is a necessary step to support these companies.”
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