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LAST UPDATE | 5 Jun 2020
THE CHIEF MEDICAL Officer Tony Holohan has indicated that peanuts and crisps should not be the only food publicans serve to customers in order to reopen in June.
Speaking at tonight’s Covid-19 briefing at the Department of Health, Holohan said:
“A few people getting together for a few pints and a packet of peanuts doesn’t constitute a restaurant.”
His comments come after today’s announcement that pubs that serve food on the premises will be able to reopen on 29 June.
Pubs will not need a restaurant licence in order to open, it has also been confirmed.
All other pubs can reopen on 20 July – three weeks earlier than originally planned.
During his press conference on the easing of the lockdown restrictions in Phase 2, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on the 29 June “pubs and bars can operate as if they were restaurants, but they won’t need to have a restaurant license “.
Next week, the government will publish detailed guidance for hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes as to how they should operate.
It was announced today that hotels will also be permitted to open earlier than expected, at the end of this month.
Restaurants and cafes will reopen as planned on 29 June.
For pubs to open on this date, they must operate a table service and adhere to social distancing rules.
The Taoiseach said that people must be sitting, adding it would not be the case of “people sitting at a bar… hanging around and standing as you might like to do”.
“It’ll effectively be that bars can operate as though they are restaurants,” he said.
While questions are raised about what type of food publicans must serve to be allowed open, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland told TheJournal.ie that while it does not deal with licences, it does inspect all food businesses.
“Regarding food safety, all food businesses who are re-opening must continue to operate with their food safety management systems in place, but now they must also operate with new Covid-19 prevention measures as per government advice and ensure that these new measures do not compromise their food safety management systems,” said a spokesperson.
The issue of what kind of food publicans will serve under the new rules was also raised in the Dáil yesterday.
Health Minister Simon Harris was asked by Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly if Ireland would revert back to the late 1980s and early 1990s when someone could order a “bag of chips or a plate of manky curry for the venue to be able to continue to serve alcohol”.
The comment resulted in some quips from TDs about the minister’s age, with some saying he would not remember the 80s.
“I do not think we ever did that in Greystones at any stage. We will have to ask deputy [Stephen] Donnelly as he is a little bit older than me… I will come back to the deputy on the curry and mushy peas,” replied Harris.
Publican representative groups have welcomed the announcement today that pubs who serve food can reopen at the same time as the rest of the hospitality sector.
The Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) and the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) said this will come as a “major relief” to the pub sector across the country.
Both organisations also welcomed the commitment made by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan that the National Public Health Emergency Team will develop guidance for the hospitality sector in the coming days and that a review of the two metre social distancing requirement is being undertaken.
“This is a welcome shot in the arm for publicans who will have been closed for more than four months by the time they reopen on 20 July. Pubs were the first sector to close on 15 March, a decision our members supported for the good of public health,” said Padraig Cribben, VFI Chief Executive, said:
He said the earlier opening in July for all pubs will allow businesses to tap into some of the summer season, though Cribben said there are still concerns about the impact of social distancing rules of 2 metres.
Donall O’Keeffe, LVA Chief Executive, said his group had been consistent in advocating for pubs to receive the same treatment as other hospitality businesses that serve food and drink.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) social distancing guidance of one metre would make a “substantial difference” to business viability, adding that he hoped it would be reduced in the weeks ahead.
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Are Tayto considered food?
@BuffaloSoldiersky:
Of course, nothing like a Tayto crisp sandwich washed down with about 12 pints. Wholesome food.
@BuffaloSoldiersky: taytos &purple snacks are considered staple food groups the original pub lunch
@Colonel Grant:
Literally just eating one now
@Edward Fitzgerald: in the good ole days it was the pink snacks that were the connoisseurs choice.
@Stephen Foster: had they run out of yellow schnacks?
@Edward Fitzgerald: Don’t forget the Peanuts.
Excellent news, so the responsibilty shifts more to people to make the correct decisions for themselves. Go to a restaurant or stay at hime if you don’t feel ready. Go to a shopping centre or don’t. With sensible social distance rules until the virus is squashed further. As an SME and employer of 12 I am happier today than the dark months. Thoughts with those that have gone and brighter times ahead.
All going very fast, very suddenly.
@Ann Experiment: The end of the month is not fast or anything like it. I think the Government are finally waking up to the catastrophic damage to the economy this is doing….let’s hope we don’t end up a basket case after all this.
@Peter Hughes: they’ll be a serious rise in George Forman purchases this month!
@Peter Hughes: this was a shut down done for the benefit of public health and the HSE. If we didn’t go into lockdown this would have gotten seriously ugly. Yes it’s taken a toll on the economy and we will have to be on the back foot after this but human life is more important than the economy
@Jake Kelly: ban cars and planes in ireland so and save lives!
@Jake Kelly: The problem is the government after seeing what was going on in Italy left pubs, cafes, restaurants, cinemas etc OPEN and not only that let flights carrying thousands from Italy come here for a piss up….these decisions cost us dearly and kicked off everything. I walked by my local the week before paddy’s day and it was jam packed….I was watching what was going on in Italy I thought we are in big trouble. Now when the virus is crushed we are doing what should have been done at the start, zero logic to.it lol…..comical governance which makes no sense but I expect no different.
@Dino: Silly comment. Cars and planes have a positive and beneficial purpose. Lethal Corona Viruses don’t.
@Peter Hughes: Yeah, with 200 deaths due solely to Covid19 it was a disaster. 87% had health issues.
You must be fuming the number wasn’t higher to somehow give your pathetic existence a bust..
A similar number of people will die from traffic accidents this year, should we ban vehicles until we can be certain no deaths will occur to healthy people due to traffic accidents ?
I’ve been enjoying the peace and quiet myself.
If you live somewhere which has a problem with drunken vandalism get ready for some serious damage to your property in July.
@Billy: quite a strange response. Does that happen a lot round your way?
@Billy: In fairness, ye must live in a bit of a sh!t€hole
@Billy: Not with pubs operating table service only. They’ll probably restrict the time you can book a table for, just like a restaurant
@Stephen Foster: Carlow. ‘Nuff said.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: So book a table and if you have it pass it on to whoever comes after you after your time is up?…am I missing something?
I’ll have a crisp sandwich,… And 45 pints
Great to see things opening up again. 29th of June here we go.
Thank christ for that lol
So surely all will open and offer a sambo for a yoyo with your 14 pints!
@Mel Finn: I can see bookings only, 2 hour limit on tables etc. coming in the coming in the i industry specific guidelines next week. Could be wrong but that’s what some other countries like Australia did. 1 person per 4m squared in their restaurants, although they can sit in groups but that’s the premises capacity rate. Only 10 in a pub.
@NotMyIreland: I think you should run for office…
Bars & restaurants opened here ( Netherlands ) on Monday. Big rush on the first day day but they have been dead quiet since. Only half of them actually opened up again.
Leave the pups closed….open the hairdressers
@Angelika Passet: pubs..
@Angelika Passet: u get your hair done on the black market I’m off for a cup of soup and 12 pints.
Premiership back to if u don’t feel comfortable stay at home and wash ur hair.
Ahhh Gimme 5 pints please , and when I’m done I might order some grub
I won’t take my chances thanks I will leave going to. The pub till 2021 like any normal person will
@BriP75: great craic you are id say!!!!!
@BriP75: thanks to be good you won’t be there
Would that include golf clubs with a bar/restaurant
@James O Lone: if they have a restaurant licence then I’d imagine so
Finally table service in pubs like in a proper civilised country.
@Sam Lowry: brings me back to my first job as a lounge girl at 14 serving drinks and food in Madigans Pubs . Great money in tips. Loved it great crack.
Why has food to be linked to a pub now? It’s no different than going to your local grocery stores
@Anthony Sweeney: Pubs have been applying for a restaurant cert for the last 15+ years. It allows an extra hours drinking up time as opposed to 30 mins. After closing’ for customers having a meal.
If your serving a meal at 9:30 on a Sunday and you can be prosecuted at 11:30 for having customers on premises, it is a necessity.
To gain a cert from the court, you must prove that a large portion of your business is food orientated.
As a cert can cost up to €10000 euro to gain first time (Costs included).
This is why pubs were annoyed at restraunts being allowed to open and not them.
You will have to book an appointment
So they will all open then and serve sambos if they’ve no cooking facilities.
That fellow Chawke stayed on the Duffy show that if one ordered a ‘plate of chips’ or a sandwich at any of his establishments then they could order pints. Not exactly a restaurant. Looking for loopholes!
The pubs will bleeding jammers will their be some sort of unofficial national holiday on the 29th or somethin yup
Wait till you see all the pubs serving sambos
Ahhh come on now Tony, we will at least be having the chicken wings!!
Packet o’ Peanuts please
Pubs that’s don’t normally maybe able to overcome the lack of a licence to make hot food. A licence is not required for one of those giant soup pots. Buy a catering size box of soup mix and make it up and store it in the giant soup pot. Every day go to your local bakery and buy some of their locally made bread to serve with the soup. Or buy a mixture of ready made sandwiches from your local cafe down the street to serve with your soup. All equipment to invest in is one of those giant soup pots and a new fridge solely for storage of the sandwiches and the milk to serve with the teas and coffee.
I have set up a petition for Ireland to only reopen pubs on the weekends to improve people’s health, pockets and to reduce alcohol problems. Please sign if you agree at http://chng.it/PW9vPxtY
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