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LAST UPDATE | 3 Dec 2021
THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced that it will reinstate the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) for all workers who lose their jobs as restrictions are reintroduced.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys confirmed the measure in a tweet this evening.
“I know many workers will be worried tonight. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment will reopen for applications for workers impacted by latest restrictions. My Department will work on this as a matter of urgency & full details will be announced over coming days,” she said.
I know many workers will be worried tonight. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment will reopen for applications for workers impacted by latest restrictions. My Dept @welfare_ie will work on this as a matter of urgency & full details will be announced over coming days.
— Heather Humphreys (@HHumphreysFG) December 3, 2021
Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the fresh curbs this evening following advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
Under the new measures, from 7 December to 9 January, nightclubs will close and strict social distancing will be required in all bars and restaurants, including hotels.
The measures are a return to the situation that prevailed before restrictions were rolled back in late October. The following rules will be in place:
Live events have also been scaled back to 50% capacity and they must all be fully seated. This applies to entertainment, cultural, community and sporting events.
Use of the Covid Pass was also extended to gyms and leisure centres and hotel bars and restaurants.
Adrian Cummins of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said the new measures are very disappointing for the industry but he believes the Government is going to support the sector.
“We need to see the details of the business support scheme. Obviously there’s a major blow to hospitality at the moment, but we’ve always said that we will protect public health and abide by the restrictions,” Cummins told The Journal.
“We believe we will be sitting down with Government on Monday to discuss how the new scheme will be implemented,” he added.
The Government announced an extension of the targeted commercial rates waiver for the first three months of 2022.
The waiver specifically targets businesses in the hospitality and entertainment sector who are impacted by continued restrictions.
The total cost of commercial rates waiver arrangements, from March 2020 to date, is now almost €1.5 billion.
Last Wednesday, employment wage subsidy scheme (EWSS) rates were reduced as part of a plan to gradually wind the scheme down.
However, many businesses and representative groups have called for this to be reversed, saying they are still feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and struggling to pay staff.
The hospitality sector is among those worst affected as people cancel bookings amid growing fears of the Omicron variant and the possibility of more restrictions being introduced.
Sven Spollen-Behrens, Small Firms Association Director, called for the full reinstatement of Covid-19 financial supports in response to the recent Government announcement on the reintroduction of Covid restrictions.
“If businesses are being forced to either close completely or deal with very significant turnover declines due to public health measures, the onus is on Government to ensure these businesses are adequately supported.
“Many small businesses depend on the Christmas trading season as a lifeline for the rest of the year. With this trading period now effectively gone, the state must step in to ensure a wave of permanent closures does not happen” Spollen-Behrens said.
VFI Chief Executive Padraig Cribben said that workers in the sector were facing into a bleak Christmas.
“Earlier this year our sector was promised there would be no return to previous restrictions so today’s news is extremely disappointing. We are going backwards with little sense of what the future holds for the trade.
“Publicans are asking how we get to a stage where we can trade safely without restrictions. Right now Government is offering little advice. They have promised to meet us early in the New Year to map out the next 12 months but considering we though the crisis would be over by now the trade is in a very dark place.
“There are supports available, including the return of the CRSS but we’ll need to analyse the details to see how many of our members qualify. The reality is this is another disastrous day for the pub trade,” he said.
With reporting from Céimin Burke
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Hospital and ICU numbers falling this makes no sense at all. The Govt is done . Absolute shambles.
@Paul Moore: Question is where are the opposition parties. All keeping quiet.
@Paul Moore: Hospitalisations are rapidly rising in Tshwane (where Omicron outbreak started) and is mainly effecting under 40s. The measures announced today are prudent and are based on strong public health advice.
@Stephen Kearon: what percentage of Tshwane is vaccinated compared to here?
@Laura Walsh: Exactly.
@a: the measures today are disastrous because they won’t actually bring down cases (because they aren’t addressing real issues such as ventilation, track and trace, greater use of antigen testing etc). And as a cherry on top, they will add to vaccine skepticism ahead of the booster campaign.
@Paul Moore: The government is done??
So how’d you work out that then – how do you think that their shambolic performance since the last election is going to lead to them dissolving the Dail and calling a new Election?
The hyperbole on here is nothing if not consistent
@Roy Dowling: the opposition parties would be doing the exact same that’s why they are quite,they hav said it before they would follow the health advice
@Roy Dowling: sitting back watching them make a rod for their own backs…then a landslide victory in nx election.
@Laura Walsh: Just under 30%.
@Franny Ando: Hey Franny the brat is back on the late late show tonight if you’re interested.
@Laura Walsh: how long do vaccines work for? Is it 3 or 6 months?
@Roy Dowling: In fairness, they don’t have to say or do much. They’re a shoe-in to lead the next government. This shower couldn’t lead a dog.
@Laura Walsh: All they’re doing is setting us up for another lockdown in January. They are a clueless, brainless lot, all they ever do is close pubs restaurants and nightclubs, and they will continue to do this for most of next year as well. So we can write off next year as well, it will be at least 2023 before our backward country returns to any kind of normality.
@The Firestarter: the lockdown will come before January. Wait and see.
@Yazzer: What party? Nphet got them all cancelled.
@Roy Dowling: I’d say you’re the life and soul of the party
If people accept this b#llocks they’ll accept anything.
And, accept it, I expect they will.
@James Quinn: So what time can the so called wet pubs open till now
@Shaun Gallagher: Why does it matter what time they can stay open til? Its the bullsh!t regulations that go with it is the problem.
Roll on Xmas and fcuk NPHET, Martin and Varadkar!
@Shaun Gallagher: still 11.30
@Franny Ando: nope. Still midnight
@Rob Bulman: is it not closing 11.30 out by 12. Either way good news:)
How is any of this helping to tackle the major source of covid in the country.
@Diarmuid Hehir: quite simple really stop mass gatherings for a lengthy piece of time common sense really but as we have seen throughout this lots of people have no cop on
@Martin O Donnell: it’s not working..quiet simple really
Who’s going to pay for all of this. Anyone would think the Government are buying us a round of drinks. They robbed us on banking bail outs, over priced hospitals, fuel and now this.
We are not being told the half of what these clowns are squandering money on. The irony of “protecting” the HSE which is not fit for purpose anyway, nothing more than a miss managed money pit. God help anyone who gets a non covid related desease with this shower in charge. Chickens are not home but are …… all over the gaff.
This is nonsense. The government closed hospitality from March to the end of October when it should have been open. Ppl could socialise outdoors, sit outside pub and restaurant s etc. Remember this ineptitude and shambolic governance when casting your vote at the ballot box in the next election. They are destroying ppls lives.
Entertainment industry shafted again, most of us don’t qualify for the government’s pittance so this is just another nail in the coffin for many bands and artists that can’t make a living with these new setbacks
@Joe Farrell: how does any tax compliant business not qualify for support?
@Stephen Kearon: yer comment shows how little ye know about the industry Stephen self employed people are worried. Tax compliance and all.
Glad to hear it. Should never have stopped.
@Anna Carr: have a day off
@Hear me now: I was nice to you in some other article. Why are you so mean to me? Lol
@Anna Carr: Hear me know is a good person Anna and so are you. Problem solved yeah lol
@Roy Dowling: People are still dying of this plague Roy. Such comments are neither clever nor funny.
Damn, There are some people in this world that need to take a good look at themselves and their opinions. It’s like they are still stuck in utero. Why some people think that they are somehow owed anything from anyone else is beyond me…the entitlement is out of this world. I hate to break it, but we are not special and society does not owe us anything. If you want to take the vax, go ahead. It freely available. You don’t need to profess your idiology onto the rest. Likewise if you wish not to take the vax, you have every right to do so. The onus is not on you to explain yourself to anyone.
@Jack: ah get the fluck over yourself Jack seriously.
@Jack: yourself included. Go and stand in front of a mirror and take a good long hard look at yourself.
@Yazzer: nah, he’s just a w@nker.
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