The Treasurer of the Donegal Branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland says publicans will be watching closely today as hospitality reopens fully in the North.
In Northern Ireland, bars and restaurants can now serve customers indoors for the first time this year and the Vintners Federation of Ireland is encouraging the Irish Government to follow suit.
Publicans in the Republic are calling for indoor trade to resume on July 1st, three weeks after outdoor dining reopens.
Councillor Martin Harley, Chair of the Donegal Branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland says outdoor service will not be a viable option for many and more clarity is needed ahead of businesses reopening:
Mayo Chair of the VFI is confident July 1st will see resumption of indoor services in all pubs
Indoor trading for publicans appears to be on track to resume by Thursday, July 1
st, according to the Mayo Chairman of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Alan Gielty.
The Achill based publican is hopeful that pubs can fully reopen serving food and drink, or drink only, in time for the traditional start of the summer tourist season.
However, he says that while publicans welcome the reopening of pubs for
outdoor trading only on 7
th June, (two weeks time), for the vast majority of its rural members running an outdoor-only business is not sustainable.
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Dublin City Council passed a motion to allow for the appointment of a night mayor to support night-time culture after Covid-19 at a meeting on Monday
Niall Redmond recommends Corkonians get to Sunil Sharpe s gig this weekend (Image: Getty)
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‘The beginning of the end’: Limerick business reacts to Covid-19 re-opening plans
Reporter: );
“IT’S the beginning of the end – definitely a step in the right direction”.
The reaction of local publican and Vintners Federation of Ireland representative Paul Flannery to the news that scores of businesses will re-open over the next two months.
Companies which have not yet opened in 2021 will finally begin to start trading again from May 10, with pubs due to open to outdoor business a month later on Monday, June 7 – dependent on the progress in reducing Covid-19 numbers. For more information, click here.
Mr Flannery, who runs his family pub in Shannon Street, said: “It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.”
Tipperary Mid West Radio
Image by EvaBergschneider from Pixabay
Padraig Cribben, CEO of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, said the announcement that pubs can reopen for outdoor trading from 7th June is an important and welcome first step but Government must now ensure indoor trading can resume as soon as possible.
The call for a resumption of indoor trading comes after it was confirmed hotels can open from early June. He said the VFI is extremely pleased that last year’s ‘substantial meal’ provision is now abandoned and the artificial divide between pubs serving food and traditional venues no longer applies. All venues can now open together outdoors from 7th June.