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The Irish Vintners Federation has called on the Government to provide a full new package of supports if the bar industry is to survive until the new Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
The group made its request after the government decided to shut down pubs that serve food alongside restaurants on Christmas Eve.
He said the decision about the likelihood of pubs remaining closed after March 15, 2021, the first anniversary of the trade shutdown.
The VFI said the government’s original plan to lock down the country for six weeks until early December so the country could have a “meaningful” Christmas is now in tatters.
The hospitality industry was prevented from even reaching St Stephen’s Day, he added.
“Once again, the hospitality sector has been dealt with in a gruesome manner with no warning about this closure, resulting in huge costs for our members who have to shed expensive stocks,” said VFI CEO Padraig Cribben.
“There’s also the equally important issue of staff now facing another extended stint at the PUP. Many employees only returned to work because they were promised that the pubs serving food would stay open until January,” Cribben added.
He also said that pubs that were allowed to reopen for less than three weeks must now reapply for the Covid-19 Support Restrictions Scheme (CRSS).
“But at this stage, with little prospect of a full reopening in the short term, we are calling for the CRSS to increase for all pubs to 30% of 2019 turnover. The government must understand that its decisions are decimating our commerce, so the support offered has to acknowledge that fact, “Cribben urged.
He also said the tavern industry needs clear communications from the government on how it will be allowed to resume trading.
“There is no clarity on what level of vaccine coverage we require before the restrictions are lifted. The longer the crisis lasts, the less confidence our members have that the government has some kind of plan to open pubs,” said the head of VFI .
“Publicans urgently need a timeline because right now they are completely in the dark, which is having a massive impact on people’s mental health,” he added.
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