Pubs given green light to reopen on September 21st

The Cabinet has agreed that pubs that do not serve food will be able to reopen from 21 September, it is understood.

The news has been cautiously welcomed by local publicans including Niall Farrelly chairperson of the Meath Vintners Federation who said:

“We welcome the news but we are still a bit wary of it, we have been in this position twice before.

“Until the day comes that we get the doors open we won’t believe that it is actually happening.

“We hope to get the official go ahead soon as we have to order stock back in and reengage with staff again and make sure they are comfortable with this new situation.

“We should have been opened months ago. We feel like we are being punished for the government for something that is not our fault."

The development follows yesterday’s protest by the Meath branch of the Vintners Federation outside the offices of local ministers yesterday over the continued closure of wet pubs.

Niall Farrelly chairperson of the Meath Vintners Federation

Publicans around the county gathered at the constituency office of Fianna Fáil Deputy and Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne's constituency offices in Kells and Ashbourne as well the offices of Fine Gael Meath West TD Damien English and Fine Gael Meath East TD and Minister for Justice Helen Mc Entee.

Fianna Fail councillor for Laytown/Bettystown and Slane publican Wayne Harding who was present at the protest said:

“The rural publicans like me and 3,500 others should have been opened months ago because we are no greater risk than any pub serving food.

“I totally understand the fear that the medical experts have of the city centre pubs but we are paying the price for that.

“There have been dreadful scenes in pubs in Killarney and Dublin City Centre and any publican who responsibly runs their pub would be appalled at those scenes but we have been made suffer for months because of this.

“We need to open immediately.”

Publicans are hoping to secure financial support after losing crucial months of business according to the chairperson of the Meath Vintners Federation and owner of Farrelly’s Pub in Oldcastle. He commented that:

“We are also looking for some financial support, we are after losing six months of business and we have been closed longer than any other sector in the country, we need some support to get back going again.

“We are after missing six good bank holiday weekends and the whole summer and in our game are the best six months of the year.”

Local publicans out in protest yesterday

“We all want to be able to work with the guidelines and work safely. They are very similar to restaurant guidelines and I don’t know why we couldn’t have been given them ten weeks ago as well,” he concluded.

Last week a new draft document on the reopening of wet pubs was sent out to publicans with information on how they will be allowed to operate when they reopen.

Measures outlined in the 25-page guidance document drawn up by the Government, in conjunction with Failte Ireland, include bans on counter service and people sitting at bars.

It states that social distancing must be observed at all times with no more than six people from three different households allowed at each table but pre-booking and time-limited slots will not be required if a physical distance of 2m can be maintained.

Customers will be limited to a 105-minute stay in premises where the one metre measure is in operation.

Customers must leave a wet pub by 11.30pm, meaning late bars and nightclubs will probably remain closed.

Strict queuing systems for the toilets must be introduced and pubs are urged to discourage the use of cash for transactions.

Staff must record and retain the details of one person in each group of customers for 28 days for Covid-19 contact tracing purposes.