When the Government announced their plan to reopen the country after the coronavirus pandemic, one of the first things people looked for was the date when pubs would reopen.
Most of us miss being able to go for a sociable one with our friends, while prolonged closures could also put a number of businesses under threat.
The earliest date currently earmarked in August 10th, but those in the industry are hoping it could be sooner than that.
The Licenced Vintners Association (LVA) and the Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI), two of Ireland's largest pub groups, have put together a plan that they hope would allow premises to reopen as early as June.
This is the date where other venues, such as a restaurants and cafes, are set to open their doors.
In order to push this through, thy would introduce a number of regulations. Some of the notable ones include a max of four people per ten metres squared, no live music, and all orders being taken via table service.
You can see the proposed changes in full below.
The LVA and the VFI (two of Ireland's biggest pub groups) have put forward a radical plan to government to allow pubs to re-open sooner.
Some proposals:
- Max 4 people per 10 sq m
- All customers must remain seated. Table service only
- No live music or DJs
Full list here: pic.twitter.com/LwxbBCIABO— Paul O'Donoghue (@paulodonoghue93) May 4, 2020
- Bars will become dispense bars only with no sitting, standing, ordering, payment or drinking at the bar allowed.
- Table service will be a requirement with pubs only serving customers seated at tables.
- The numbers on the premises would be confined to no more than 4 per every 10 square metres.
- A maximum of 6 people would be permitted at any one table. Customers will be required to use hand sanitiser upon entry.
- All customers must remain seated. Staff will be fully trained in the new procedures. They will also be asked to maintain a safe distance from customers when taking orders and to wash their hands thoroughly every 30 minutes.
- The utilisation of outdoor spaces to enhance social distancing.
- Procedures implemented to ensure safe use of toilet facilities, which may include limits on the numbers using toilets at any one time.
- No live music or DJs.
- Gardai / HSE will have the power to close any business who is flouting the public health guidelines.
Donal O'Keeffe, chief executive of the LVA, says he hopes the Government allows pubs to be treated the same as other businesses:
We fully respect the need to continue to protect the public health.
We have repeatedly proven this commitment, not least in the fact that our sector was the first to close across the country.
We also believe that if other venues who serve food and alcohol are allowed to reopen in Phase 3, then pubs should be granted the same opportunity to trade.
We don’t believe it is in any way appropriate that the Government should apply one rule for some hospitality businesses and another rule for others.
We are making a series of radical proposals to how bars should operate for the reopening scenario.
Trading will be extremely difficult under these circumstances. There is no doubt that the pub experience as we know it will have to change dramatically.
