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Job Losses
Dealz has been ordered to shutter one of its Dublin stores
An Bord Pleanála has said the British-owned retailer’s Fonthill store is breaking planning rules.
11.29am, 21 Feb 2018
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RETAIL CHAIN DEALZ has been ordered to close down one of its Dublin stores by the national planning authority.
Last year, the British-owned discount retailer was refused permission to use a unit in Fonthill Retail Park for one of its stores by South Dublin County Council.
The company was already operating a store, employing around 30 people, in the retail park and sought planning permission from the local council to retain the use of the unit that was earmarked for the sale of bulky goods.
Following the planning refusal, Dealz appealed to An Bord Pleanála to overturn the local authority’s decision.
In its appeal, Dealz noted that is has secured over 8,000 signatures from locals in the area that called for the store to be kept open.
However, in a recently published ruling, the national planning authority has decided to uphold the decision of South Dublin council.
In its decision, An Bord Pleanála said the use of the unit for a “shop” would be in breach of planning policy that aims to ensure retail parks are used for the sale of bulky goods.
It added that these policies are in place to protect the “vitality and viability of existing designated town centres and major retail in the vicinity”.
Another appellant to An Bord Pleanála in support of Dealz, made by the owner of the retail park, noted that little consideration is being given to the jobs that are under threat due to the council’s decision.
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The appeal lodged by Integrated Development Services Ltd, added that if the planning laws were “strictly” applied in Fonthill Retail Park, the majority of stores in it would have to close.
It is worth noting that there is no town centre (Liffey Valley is not a town centre) in the vicinity of this retail park and therefore this park has no impact on any town centres,” the landlord added.
Track record
Dealz has rapidly expanded across Ireland since it launched its first two Irish stores in 2011 and the company now has 60 locations in the Republic.
Previous Fora analysis has shown that Dealz has a track record for retrospectively applying for planning permission and over a dozen disputes between the company and county councils have boiled over nationwide.
After opening stores in 15 different counties, the retailer retrospectively applied to county councils to retain aspects of each development that had been included without planning permission.
In another similar case to that in Fonthill, Wexford council ruled that Dealz broke planning laws by opening a store in Clonard Retail Park more than two years ago.
Over the past three years, Dealz has also brought several of these disputes before the national planning body. Nevertheless, Dealz has enjoyed little success in its planning appeals.
Fora contacted Dealz for comment but no response was received by the time this piece was published.
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@Ted Logan: Tony has a vendetta against the pub industry in Ireland for decades. Our weak leadership has just allowed him carte blanche to continue his war and succeed.
@Seán O’Sullivan: problem is uk have downgraded the transmissability of delta significantly in the last week. only reason Australia are tricking it is no one is vaccinated so it will run through them now like a dose of salts.
lord knows what nphet are trying to achieve apart from a destruction of the economy.
@Twitruser2021: where are all the Facebook Karen name calling smart guys today, lol, the Irish public has just been done up like a bunch of kippers, OMG, humiliating for ye and ye were warned, “flatten the curve, protect the vulnerable, next 2 weeks vital, nphet doesn’t run the country”, and now pubs closed indefinitely again until an unworkable new system of vaccination proof at the door of every pub in Ireland to be allowed in, I can only laugh at ye
@Eoin Scanlon: yup that would be a s– show alright, let’s hope they stick to what’s been done in rest of Europe and include provision of a negative Covid test – PCR OR Antigen (for folks who aren’t vaccinated).
@David Hammond: if I were still working in a bar as a young person I would go on strike, if it’s too dangerous for them to spend 4/5 hours in the pub as customers once a week then surely it would be way way way too dangerous for them to work in the same pub, mixing with many more people at different tables for 10/20/30+ hours a week
@John Ivory: Jobs, careers, livelihoods. Not to mention who is going to paying for all this for decades to come. It’s easy to say lives matter most but that’s ignoring the fact that the problems created by all this will outlive the people it was intended to save.
@John Ivory: Everyone dies eventually. The majority being extremely old. At what price do we value saving the lives of the frail and elderly? A thousand €? A million €? A billion €? People not living for two years?
If you read up on the health economics analyses within the HSE, they value a persons’ life at around 37,000€. If someone can be given a cancer drug to save their life for one extra year, the HSE may not pay for that drug. This is how health economics works.
If you compile a list of what sacrifices people have made, it’s the young people who have made the most. And they are not even at-risk from this virus. 2 years is a long time for a young person. So many missed experiences that they will never get back. Think about it.
@Tracey Berns: That’s not true, Mary Lou is another scared little kitten that Holohan would bully also, we have nobody with any backbone in any party that will stand up to this unelected dictator
@Tracey Berns: Mary Lou? I got a good laugh from that one. Where is she? She’ll see what way the wind is blowing then jump on the bandwagon as usual. Besides she’s too busy bashing the Catholics over the ownership of Vincent’s Hospital.
@Rochelle: but if the opposition don’t disagree with NPHET’s advice either, do they get a free ride? Where is Mary Lou? Waiting to see the public reaction before broadcasting a populist tweet no doubt.
@Rochelle: Nphet are the ones to be blamed. The government can’t be seen to be ignoring expert advice again like at Christmas. Even the main opposition has been quite on Nphet.
Remember last year when everyone was hailing Tony a hero. Well that’s what’s got us here
@Charlie Murphy: not to mention the short scope of track and trace. Three days here versus seven in the UK. This could be chased down and measures put in place to contain in cluster areas but no, that won’t happen either. Govt admonish themselves of any responsibility and chuck the blame straight at nphet. They’ll know all about it come the next election. FF, FG, and the greens will all be in opposition, that is as good as guaranteed.
@Sigfrid Blanc: in fairness have sympathy for staff, business owners, suppliers, people who have not been offered a vaccine yet because of thier age. Anti vaxers not so much.
@Brendan Luke Ferron: me thinking it’s discriminatory for the population accessing pubs doesn’t mean that I don’t have sympathy for them, quite the opposite frankly. This measures are gonna be even more of a nightmare for them.
Also, I dont believe judging others on whether they wish or not to be vaccinated is a good thing. They all have reasons for their choices, but it doesn’t mean that they should be discriminated.
The role of a government of to provide equal measures for ALL of its citizens and residents, despite their religion, race, and personal choices.
@Brendan Luke Ferron: There’s a third group you’re ingoring there. Those who are pro vaccine but don’t want this one for a whole myriad of reasons. Ethicality of vaccinating non-vunerable people in wealthy countries while we let it ravage through the developing world killing left right and centre. Concerns about the potential long term implications of vaccines on reproductive health. Risks of blood clots or heart swelling to name two confirmed potential side effects (and balancing that risk against the risk of coronavirus). There’s any number of reasons why an individual may or may not want a vaccine. The current approach is to coerce people into getting their jab so they can go back to their normal lives and it’s morally corrupt.
@Sigfrid Blanc: Well their choices impact the rest of society. We’ll never be rid of the virus because for that to happen 70% of the world would need to be vaccinated. For now ots dangerous to open society because even the people who want to be vaccinated but can’t will be more exposed to the virus because of interacting with others who did a lot of indoor activities
@Dawid Grzybowski: The problem is that those measures not only will discriminate those who don’t wish to be vaccinated (and the ones who can’t right now) but it will not change their minds either or push them against it even more, it’s not solving any problems. If they want people to get vaccinated they have to gain trust and educate, not segregate.
@John O Connor: I didn’t forget, but between being asked to stay home to protect yourself and being banned for something because you fall under a category (which could be avoided with testing) there is a major difference
@Pseud O’Nym: You have lost the journal comments section. Such a pity as it was strong counter point until you said “40 comments”. Disappointed for you.
@Brian Murphy: It’s time the people of this country stand up and take to the streets now like the French do, this is a step too far, we need to push back now
@Paul O Neill: But that’s the problem with this country, we won’t take to the streets and stand up… we’ll moan about it and do what we’re told… unfortunately.
@Gigi: yes that’s so true, so many sheep in this country that love being told what to do by dictators and control hungry seekers, sure they get it from the GAA
Were young people not pleaded with to protect the vulnerable? Have they not given up the most in the last 16 months? Now young people have to watch on as the protected vulnerable can enjoy privileges not afforded to them? Absolute joke and I sympathise greatly with the youth of Ireland today – they have done a huge amount for us between working in supermarkets throughout the pandemic to working in vaccine centres now. The creation of a two tiered society is as dangerous as it is a slap in the face to many who have done fantastically over the course of the pandemic. Sickening.
@IAmTheTruth: In case you have forgotten, the lockdowns in this country started due to the scenes of crowded pubs filled with young people from temple bar when the virus first got into this country….the yoing helped spread it, the old and vunerable died from it.
@Luke: Should have implemented this policy only when vaccines were available to everyone. Then again its not like FFG have anyone under 65 voting for them anyway so they won’t mind.
@Rayzor: country is ruined because billions of euro in debt is being put on the shoulders of everyone, 400,000+ have been forced out of work for 18 months now and still are at a time when there is less than 50 people in hospital out of 4,900,000. Nphet is more like not fit.
Madness… where the “elderly” customers are vaccinated, but the younger staff are not. It’s safe for them though, of course, just not younger unvaccinated customers
@Cíarán Whyte: Remember, it’s always ok for young people to put themselves at risk when it’s the comfort and convenience of boomers at stake.
Just look at who emigrates in every financial downturn or how new recruit teachers and nurses were treated after the last recession. It’s the Irish way to sacrifice its youth.
Social contract out the window. Young people didn’t ask for a tier tier society last year and are now being shafted. The youth of Ireland took it on the chin and “protected to sick and elderly”.
@Peazel: as long as young people have access to vaccines then everything will be fine. The problem is not requiring vaccines but the lack of access to them. There is no disadvantage for young people to receive vaccines. They enhance your immune system to create antibodies and prevent long covid, hospitalisation and death
@Dawid Grzybowski: Young people don’t have access to Vaccine. I’m 36 registered still no date for my first jab. My wife is 34 and she scant even register yet. Where is the Access your talking about?
@Roy Dowling: . My two kids are fully vaxed a month ago (aged 33 and 35). I’m still waiting for 2nd jab and twice their age.. They just phoned up local doctor in medical center and made appointments.
@Dawid Grzybowski: yeah, but young people don’t have access to a vaccine, I’m 21 and the only people I know who are my age who have gotten the vaccine are those who work in healthcare or in transport. Access for this corhort is extremely poor. Even erasmus students who are going away this year to other EU countries as part of their education can’t get a vaccine before they leave. All this does is just further penalise the youth
So the parts of the country that have GPs ringing up people in their mid 20s telling them to come in for vaccines are sorted so… What happens if your GP has played by the ‘rules’.
@Dublin – Overheard: if they played by the rules they should have all the necessary age groups vaccinated. Surgeries are only ringing younger people when they have a surplus. Do you want to see them go to waste or do you want people who will be more likely to mingle and mix to get them.
@Padraic Burke: I’m 38 with severe asthma and have not been offered a vaccine despite requesting one numerous times with my gp. How did you manage to get one? My friend who has high blood pressure got one, I would of thought a respiratory disease be more serious to Covid. I know a another number of individuals who got vaccines because as somebody mentioned their parents are well in with the GP. This is very frustrating and smacks of typical Irish crounyism and lack of planning. I can imAgine there are loads of vaccines lying around and just no thought has gone in as to who to give them to.
@Dublin – Overheard: even if that’s true, which I’m sure it is in some cases, it’s a tiny percentile over the overall population. It still means people are getting vaccinated which is the overall aim.
@Fargo Boyle: I was contacted by the GP. As we’re countless others who I encountered on the day. All had something underlying various age groups from early 20s into 50s. Seemed pretty routine to me.
@Rochelle: Exactly. Of course I’m not counting anyone who has an underlying condition. These are perfectly healthy young people who openly admit they got the call out of the blue from their GPs. Places in munster doing ‘drive-through’ clinics – stick your arm out the window. It’s just very unfair for those who have done everything that has been asked of them.
@Rochelle: Myself and my family of 5 ranging from 13-27 years were offered the vaccine by my GP, not only that but we were all offered it by another GP also who is not even our family GP. I wonder why?
@Rochelle: I’m not having a go but I can’t find the modelling following that link. Maybe I’m missing it but all I’m seeing is their final projections, not how they came to those figures.
When you’re watching England vs Ze Germans tonight and you see 60,000 people in Wembley.
Just remember our NPHET overlords and government clowns decided we couldn’t guarantee 25% capacity to host the game. So glad we are the only country doing the right thing apparently!
So as I’m getting my 2nd jab this Sunday I’ll be able to sit in a pub or restaurant but my wife has to sit outside in the rain!!! Absolute cockwombles running this country
@Franny Ando: as has been the case since day 1, hospitalizations lag cases by a few weeks and ICU and death lag weeks again so saying more cases now and no more in hospital now (there are more tho, and rising daily) is OK its not being honest.
Now, vaccines mean the average age of those who will get sick is lower and they will spend less time in hospital and in ICU because of this.
But with many still not fully protected, huge case numbers will unfortunately lead to sickness and deaths as its simply unavoidable until vaccines get us to herd immunity.
The question is how do we limit that while also having as open a society as possible.
Not easy.
@Fozz: The link between cases and hospitalisations has been broken. Just because they have 20k cases now doesn’t mean in a week they will have 5k going into hospital. At current rate, in 2/3 weeks they will have around 500 people admitted to hospital each day. The UK are also testing so many people.
@Dawid Grzybowski: I’m in the same boat as rolyat ecnal. I’m 39, have registered and haven’t been offered a vaccine yet. Certain counties move a lot slower than others! I’ll take whatever they’re offering, thing is….. they’re not offering!
@Rob Foley: incase you didn’t notice all age groups made sacrifices. It was mainly the elderly that lost their lives. Everyone else went true an inconvenience.
@Rob Foley: when is life ever fair? Was it fair the elderly had no visitor’s for a year. Was it fair thousands died because infected staff had to go to work because we have no statutory right to sick pay. Was it fair that nurses and doctors had to put their lives at risk to care for people who didn’t believe the virus was real till they got it. Maybe don’t understand life yet. Maybe your a generation that just gets everything they want. Your parents must never have said no to you. It’s life get over it.
Not sure how they’re rationalising it being ok for wedding receptions for 50 being ok but otherwise indoor dining is not ok? Are the wedding meals all picnics and barbecues as part of the outdoor summer we’re having?!
@Kate Kelly: Maybe because one of their own is getting married in a few weeks. He was only on yesterday talking about his “concerns” regarding numbers at his weddiing. How could he leave people out. Maybe the same way every other couple had to deal with these concerns!!
@Kate Kelly: how many weddings do you think you would goto this summer when only 50 are allowed to go , vs how many times you will go to a restaurant or bar inside this summer?
@Kate Kelly: Because liveline will be filled with anxious couples wondering which 25 guests they need to cut from the invite list.
There’s never a logic to these restrictions, they’re all a political balancing act between appeasing NPHET and trying to avoid outrage.
@Kate Kelly: it’s a risk vs reward calculation. Weddings are a big deal to the people involved and there are a small number of them Vs the amount that would eat in restaurants and pubs
I heard that in Denmark, people can rock up to a testing centre, get an antigen test with speedy results, and that allows them 72 hours of access to everything: bars, clubs, gigs, sporting events etc. Thisnis how they can have the stadium in Copenhagen packed to the rafters for Euros games while we have a handful at our games. I guess one of the main differences between there and here is that their health service actually works, so if there were to be a spike, they could cope. The other factor though is political will and imagination. But hey, we get what we vote for.
@Seánie Ó Flannagáin: this this this. Allowing vaccinated and immune people into indoor spaces, but not providing an option for those who have not yet been offered a vaccine to use an antigen test to access, is beyond discrimination.
@Seánie Ó Flannagáin: Well there is the minor details that Denmark has a proper functional Personal ID system linked into all relevant databases. ( Something a lot of people seems to have a problem with here ).
It would simple not be possible to do here.
They also spend 6m-10m euro a day testing. But it keeps things open so clearly the cost-benefit adds up.
One issue is that testers are being pulled in from the street, given a 2 hour course and are then being paid a lot more than they could make working lowish paid normal jobs. = same issue as the PUP payment.
What a bunch of c0wards we have running this country. A complete joke, I feel for all in the hospitality industry. The mental stress alone. They really haven’t a clue.
I think that the pubs and restaurants should ignore the government and reopen for inside dining and drinking. The guards cannot prosucute every pub and restaurant in the country. A period of civil disobedience by everyone will get the message through to the government
You’d wonder what it’s going to take for people to finally stick up for themselves. In 2 weeks time we’ll be given another reason for further delaying reopening. It’s just not acceptable at this point. Restaurants and pubs should reopen en masse. They would have majority public support at this point. Obviously it’s time to disband NPHET and we need a general election ASAP.
@Declan Doherty: Actually, I do not think they will. In case you have not noticed, most that support the restrictions have pretty much abandoned this site because of the rubbish you lot come out with. I only came back yesterday after months ignoring it, and guess what, nothing has changed. It is the same 20 or 30 people giving out about the restrictions and so on, out of the thousands registered to comment.
Everyone just open!!!…..or the entire hospitality sector will collapse along with tens of thousands of jobs….and who do they employ???…the youth of our country. RISE!!!
I never envisaged ireland becoming 1930s Germany or South Africa apartheid in my own lifetime. These people have lost control of themselves. Scary times.
@Franny Ando: A study has shown that people who write lol at the end of their own comments are on the lower end of the intellectual scale. Why would I respond to your anti public Health rhetoric, you have clearly shown to have a selfish nature to the rules in place for the common good.
I have genuinely lost all faith in this country, and I absolutely hate the way it has gone over the last sixteen months. We are now governed by power hungry politicians, who willingly and constantly accept the views of unelected pen pushers, and whose views amount to nothing more than over the top worst case scenarios. Mark my words when NEPHET and the Irish government have finished destroying this country, pubs will be a thing of the past, and a night out will be a latte in your local cafe. Ireland of the 1000 welcomes or guaranteed craic have been well abd truly systematically taken apart by NEPHET and their spineless, gutless minions Michael and Leo.
@The Firestarter: I think the politicians are just weak and feeble, they’re terrified of taking decisions around the pandemic given how divisive it is so they simply let NPHET decide everything. The main opposition party are just as weak, no strong opinions on anything during the pandemic. All of them are thinking about their seat in the next election, nobody wants to show leadership or bravery.
The hope is we’ll all blame NPHET and forget about who has the actual power of decision making.
So this has been done based on modelling done by nephet, it would be logical then to publish the modelling to see does it hold proper scrutiny or are these figures just plucked out of thin air, modelling in other EU countries does not appear to be the same as ours. Publish the data and if correct I for one will row in behind it, if you want support publish the data.
Are they gonna get a load of vaccinated Grannies and Granadas in to serve the food? I’ve been on board with government recommendations from the start but we have reached a plateau and now it’s time to get on with things.
So let me get this straight….. 50 people vaccinated or not are safe to be at a wedding reception for most of the day, but 10 or 15 people in a rural pub for a couple of hours is a no-no. Bonkers.
@Chuck Heneghan: An unvaccinated chef can’t sit down for a meal in their own restaurant after an 8 hour shift but can attend a wedding party with 49 other people in the hotel down the road.
@Chuck Heneghan: Yep. Go figure!! I’m giving serious thought to just emigrating because at this rate, I don’t think this country will ever be back to anything even remotely close to normal.
@Seán O Ciara: Its not, its rewarding people who didn’t follow the rules up to now, if I got Covid I’m allowed go to the pub but because I followed the rules up to now and didn’t get it I can’t go
@eoin carroll: We all know its the right thing to do. Some people just can’t accept it for various reasons. At the end of the day it will be for the greater good.
@Seán O Ciara: we all don’t think that and unfortunately we live under am inept and weak government. Personally does not effect me as my local in Ballsbridge has beautiful beer garden which is covered. But i do consider others. No more than 1700 have died due to cv19 in Ireland.
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@Seán O Ciara: obviously you are a clueless civil servant with no real life experience. The sooner the civil service is 20% smaller then our economy can start to recover. Time to start sacking civil servants that the private sector workers pay for and the country cannot afford.
It would be great if we had a leader willing to make decisive decisions instead of hiding behind the findings of committees. Instead of a strong leader we have Martin unwilling to make decisions or take responsibility for decisions. We’re an embarrassment at this stage.
Absolutely disgraceful losing control of the people is too much for them pubs and restaurants open up on the 5th stand up to them they are getting away with murder
They throw in this insulting, divisive, notion of allowing vaccinated people to dine indoors – at some stage- just to distract us all.
The real news here is that, in spite of all we’ve suffered and all we’ve achieved, they’ve pushed the reopening back again.
That NPHET prediction of up to 700k cases in the next three months is equivalent to over 40m cases in the US, more than the total number of confirmed cases to date in that country
That’s with about 70% with a first dose and 40+% fully vaccinated.
Theres literally no way…. And our reporters from the Journal, Virginia media and the journal can’t say they stand for the truth without pulling NPHET on such ridiculous unrealistic numbers. It’s freaking disgusting
@David Lee: Their modelling has been wildly inaccurate since the start. Remember in the very first lockdown when Leo warned us we were headed for 15k daily cases by April 1st 2020? The first wave peaked around 1000.
So NEPHT know more that the experts throughout Europe. They want everything closed until zero Covid. Everywhere in Europe permitting vaccinated people into bars and restaurants, simply produce evidence of vaccination or negative test. It’s that simple, but not in Ireland. Cries about equality legislation, discrimination bla bla bla. Everywhere else can do it, why can’t we. Incompetence and laziness. Even the restaurants and bars here complaining about the hassle of checking customers. This could have been planned for weeks ago. It’s a complete bad joke. Our so called leaders should be shot, can’t make a proper informed decision weighing up health and economics. NEPHT modelling is a farce, not based on any real data, just look at UK, hospital cases MAY go up 10% which would bring us to 40 in hospital and 15 in ICU. We are already lowest in Europe but keep squandering our money and bankrupt the country for no reason.
Funny how not even One of the other European countries believe the same. NPHET projecting 2,000 deaths between July & September if indoor hospitality reopens as had been planned on July 5th!?! Does anyone find that in the least bit credible given that we are now heading swiftly towards the 5 million mark of vaccinations!?!
@Nigel o’Neill: nobody really knows Nigel. 23,000 cases in the UK, further advanced on vax than most countries, on Sunday, a rise of 70% in 7 days, and they’ve postponed “Freedom Day” until they establish what damage this variant is going to do. Do you think the Brits were wrong to do that also? What has them so scared that they had to postpone reopening and with so many people vaccinated? New Scientist reported 2m people with long Covid in England. Is it safe to open and have large indoor gatherings now with cases on the rise like this and inevitably across the border shortly?
Up to now, I’ve been happy enough to put my trust in the experts. They’ve gone too far though. What makes Ireland so special that we have to delay reopening when the rest of Europe is open? I feel that people’s mental health, especially those whose livelihoods are in hospitality, will be affected for a very long time
Pure tyrannical medical apartheid by unaccountable, unelected, drunk with power sociopaths. How scandal ridden Holohan is still employed in government, never mind somehow becoming the country’s de facto decision maker is a national disgrace.
The hospitality sector should all open at the one time just like they did in Italy which forced their government to back track. This bullsh!t has gone on long enough.
@Vlad Eire: yup it’s a joke. At least in the rest of Europe, opening indoor hospitality has been done in a safe manner with the covid passport system. And it seems to be working.. cases haven’t shot up in Germany, Austria, Denmark.
On one hand the govt are being super cautious delaying indoor hospitality for 2 weeks to give them time to consider covid passport system.. but by that very reasoning wouldn’t that suggest they’ve been totally reckless by allowing hotels to fully open for the last month with no covid-passport system?
I know 2 barman who are determined NOT to get any vaccination so do they get sacked? Are all unvaccinated staff going to be laid off again u till they are? Absolute nonsense!!
@Elaine Phelan: You seem to have a memory problem as well as problem with putting words in other people’s mouth’s. No I didn’t say that at all. You fear mongers have got what you wish now. If this was September would ya be saying that schools should remain shut ?
Why won’t they say that NPHET has a problem with pubs, they just don’t what them open. It’s got nothing to do with indoor dining, if you can have dining for hotel guests and now 50 people for weddings why not just open the whole lot up.
WOW, again the tony and nphet defenders are nowhere to be seen on this article’s comments section, u can’t defend this decision, the ultimate Irish blackmail , the travel blackmail didn’t work so go right at the heart of Irish culture and society and make up a rule where u can’t enter a pub or restaurant until u are full vaccinated on top of the fact that the pubs and restaurants still don’t have a guaranteed reopening date with a shambles of a proposal of only the vaccinated allowed to enter which is completely unworkable, people of Ireland, would u PLEASE STAND UP, enough is enough
No vaccine passport needed…. vaccine passport for international travel….vaccine passport for indoor hospitality. What next? documents to allow intercounty travel as touted months ago. Where do the restrictions end as new variants come about naturally and we get shut down to varying degrees for each one and more and more references to increased transmissability, higher death rates etc.
Are we still pretending and ignoring scientifically proven, safe and inexpensive treatments for a weakened ‘variant’?? Good old Ireland. They will be marching the unvaccinated to the camps next. Why are those vaccinated with an experimental treatment allowed since they can still catch and pass on Covid? Cue deletion on comment as free speech no longer allowed. You must comply, you must obey, you must not think for yourself. A million on the streets in London last weekend. Here we just have selfish sheep who in reality have no idea what’s going on
So we are the exception when it comes to length of time of lockdowns, we’re the exception when it comes to not accepting antigen testing, and we’re now the exception with this.
I’d say there’ll be severe brain drain when all the college educated young people leave after the way this government and country has treated them.
I think people need to face the fact that NPHET will NEVER let the pubs open fully, this was their plan all along. They’ll just keep coming up with excuses, and why do Irish people keep taking all this lying down, we’re too easy to just accept what we are told, no uproar or protests like in other countries. It’s not about the virus anymore, it’s about control now! At first they said we’ll keep things closed til the vulnerable are vaccinated, that has now happened ages ago, but no, that’s not enough for them now! This will ruin any chance some restaurants or pubs had at trying to recoup any losses they incurred during what should have been a busy summer for them. Sick of it all now!!
@Freda Hanratty: If only we had an elected parliament of officials who could make balanced decisions that wasn’t just a mirror of NPHET’s advice. Anyone know how we could have a system like that?
So only now have they decided they might need a plan to implement this deluded idea they have on reopening. Couldn’t have prepared a plan B or anything. Meanwhile businesses collapse, families suffer financially, mental health – sure who cares, punish the young for any effort we have put in for the last year or so, meanwhile you can sit in a hotel and dine with no limits but if you do it in another restaurant it’s suddenly a problem. We need to stop listening to these clowns
I think they just lost the dressing room with that decision.
Most vulnerable people are vaccinated, younger people absolutely deserve to be getting their lives back at this stage.
18 months is a lifetime when you’re young and should be out having fun.
Poor decision
How is this man leading our country. It is appalling what is going on even dr of gloom Sam McConkey said we should open on 5th. NPHET need to be fact checked witn immediate effect . Then when truth is out tgen told to swing the hook. 700k cases predicted if goes pear shaped.
ISAG have a lot more cop on than the shower doing the stat modelling. Is anyone listening to them? Are there any virologists or immunologists on the nphet panel? Not the last time I checked. Whatever about Holohan, there are a lot more questions to be asked about how decisions like this are made.
Imagine being a restaurant having to deal with this.
What if a group of 4 comes in and one of them forgot their vaccine card? How do you deal with an irate anti-vaxxer who tries to be served? What if the vaccine card looks fake? What if staff who are happily serving people outdoors at the moment don’t want to serve people indoors until they’re vaccinated?
@Rochelle: Yeah, hopefully they’ll adopt a covid passport system (and allow proof of prior infection/ negative pcr-or-antigen test) like they’ve done in most countries in Europe – seems to have worked well in so far in these countries.
Basing it on vaccination status alone would be looking for trouble.
This is gone way beyond ridiculas at this stage life under fuher Holohan mean while life goes on elsewhere in the EU life goes on while we are styck here
Yesterday many of the commenters on the articles about opening indoor dining were chastising the government for not opening up to vaccinated people. Today, they say they are looking into it and many of the commentators cry discrimination. They can’t win
The same issue that was there at the start of the pandemic remains. We have a grossly underfunded health care system which cannot cope with the potential spike in cases from the Delta Variant. In fact in light of the hack things are worse.
Government have had ample time to address these issues but chose not to.
This is not NEPHTs “fault”. They are making recommendations based on the evidence in front of them.
Part of that evidence is that we have one of the worst public healthcare systems in Europe.
Government are using NEPHT as a scapegoat for their own failings when it comes to the battle for hearts and minds, and judging by the comments here it’s working.
Papers please. Hitler would be so proud of Ireland. We should make the unvaxed wear a band on there hand so we can know who they are. And after that we should open concentration camps for the unvaxed for there own safety and ours.
@Tac: you know you have no argument when you fall back on Hitler comparisons. Comparing optional vaccinations to protect your health and protect others from getting a very nasty illness to Nazi concentration camps is hyperbolic to the max
Shameful! Sure why doesn’t Michael just pop off on his holidays. It’s clearly not him running the country. Apparently NPHET know more then every other EU country who all have indoor hospitality open. Time the sector banded together and just opened up en masse.
@Ashling Fenton: Not many FF / FG voters in those age groups so they seemingly don’t care.
Imagine how different things would be if this virus was like the Spanish Flu and more deadly to young people but harmless to the old. Would we even have a lockdown at all?
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Meanwhile here in Spain the whole country is open. Night clubs are now open until 3.30. 14 day rate lower than Ireland. Irish people are being lied to on an epic proportion. Wait until echo fox and golf come along. Laughing stock seriously.
The 4 of us suppose to go on staycation this Saturday. We were to camp wild for 2 nights as the campsites in Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford and East Cork don’t accept tents this year (sites in Galway, Mayo, Donegal accept them). Then 3 nights in a hostel in Waterford, eat indoors, visit Greenways cycling. Then 2 nights wild camping again. Thanks to the Gov’s recent decision to postpone reopening of indoor dining, we have cancelled the hostel, the train, we won’t visit local business in Waterford, we won’t dine either. One of the friend just booked a flight to Valencia for €13 one way, he’s fully vaccinated.
We decided to shorten the staycation if we will go at all. HUGE uncertainty and lack of vision from the Gov. Very disappointing. We were encouraged to make plans to stay in the country.
Yes its not fair on the hospitality industry but if they open now and then close in a few weeks we would end up in lockdown again…Slow and steady is the way to go..personally I don’t think I could cope with restrictions going backwards
Nonsense! I am not and never have been anti-government, and I usually think that the experts know what they are doing. But they are putting me in a very difficult position because while NPHET’s job is to put forward the worst case scenario, which they do so with relish, it is the government’s job to take that and apply some common sense and big picture thinking to it and then decide the next step which is okay from a public health perspective but also from an economic perspective while also giving at least half a thought to mental well-being. The government have forgotten what their job is……which makes it impossible to support them. While Tony H is gone power mad, it seems, the government have let him!!
wont be planning for irish weekend now. i rather pay the PCR for my boys than spend money on hols here if we can’t have family meal together in restaurants.
People in their forties only getting first Jab this week in Dublin while people in their 30s in Kerry are also getting first jab . This proposal is totally unfair on people under 40 in Dublin
They need 20 days to figure out how to handle people, who have been vaccinated, for indoor dining, I can’t imagine how long time they need to find out how long time it will take to vaccinate people. What does the project model have to look like before they will open further up for all.
I gotta say it does make me angry that while the rest of Europe were implementing the covid passport system to allow safe reopening of indoor hospitality, we were sitting on our behinds. And now we have to delay for two weeks because of this oversight.. was this not something that they could have got the ball rolling on sooner?
In most countries in Europe (Denmark, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, etc) you are required to show a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination/past infection before entering an indoor venue (restaurants, hotels, gyms, etc).
Indoor hospitality has been open since end of May in these places.
I fully understand that the govt needs to be cautious when reopening, but why is it only now that we’re looking at this?
I feel sorry for the staff that have to serve vaccinated people when them themselves aren’t vaccinated due to their age as mostly young people work in the hospitality sector and we all know that although you are vaccinated you can still pick up the virus and pass it on.
Such a disaster for the hospitality sector yet Again , if NEPHIT had their way , the pubs would remain permanently closed ,when are the government gonna grow a pair of balls and stand up to them
25 …. IF any of ye have COVID would you share it with me? Maybe ill recover and be allowed dine indoors or be allowed access to the same ‘luxuries’ as the rest of society.
Has to be done eventually. Once its available to everyone, refusing a vaccine without good reason is the most selfish thing you can do in this unequal world where others would kill for a vaccine.
@Paul Cunningham: totally agree. Wait till they realize that they cannot to out for a meal or travel then they will be beating the door down for a vaccine.
Absolute shambles. You have to ask the question is there a serious case of group think or are they getting independent validation on these figures. How can businesses plan in any shape or form? “Nobody escapes the Spanish inquisition”, well NPHET does.
I have no problem with this policy if vaccines were available for everyone. Unfortunately we are only at the 35-39 age group, and unsurprisingly that’s a huge amount of our hospitality workforce under 40. Should have waited until they were fully available to implement a policy like this.
soooooooooooooooo, you can go in if you have both jabs/
Will the staff IN the restaurant have had both jabs?
Otherwise the whole exercise is a waste of time,
Lets face it – they (who are setting the parameters) have no idea what they are doing
@Twitruser2021: A proper government is need fast in our country.SF is the only option people,get these pension grabbers out of office asap and have our country run the correct way.
We are going to be in perpetual lockdown, this is not going away anytime soon. Today it is the Delta variant, next year it will be Theta, what we going to lockdown every time this happens?!? Here I thought the reason for the original lockdown was to get our hospital service ready for the onslaught except they never did that. Oh they won’t grow a pair and make a decision, yet another date on the 19th, then another, then another. If you going to lockdown, do it for 6 more months and get it over and done with, stop pussy footing around the decision. Rant over!!!
The restaurant owners are desperate for their businesses to reopen. Yet if we carried on with opening on the 5th that would mean anyone could dine in no questions asked, and apperently this delta is able to infect people m uch easier , this thing would go rampant. The alternative is not to open at all, and then more businesses losing money etc. It would be more in the government’s line to put all their efforts into getting those aged 60-70 their second vaccines ASAP, my mother had her first 8 weeks ago and I’m sure I’m not the only one anxious about someone close to them !
@Marie Prendergast: get the young people vaccinated as soon as possible. Just look around at the businesses that are open, it is mainly young adults that are in the forefront – in the shops, supermarkets the pubs and restaurants that are lucky enough to open, albeit outside dining. Why can’t they be vaccinated in tandem with the older cohort – working from both ends of the age profiles.
Sooooooooo ? Just to get this latest instruction straight, If I have had both vaccine jabs, I can sit in – in a restaurant and be served by someone who may not have had a vaccine jab, but that person may not sit in the restaurant.
Oh I forgot, if I stay in an hotel, I can go to the restaurant, vaccine jabs or not !!!!!
This is yet another shambles from our Government
Nanny state communism using the hospitality industry leverage so people can take the jab well does the Bible say about the end time but evil men shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life
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