THE GUINNESS STOREHOUSE in Dublin City centre has become the latest business to suffer because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with its owner Diageo confirming that a number of staff will be let go in the coming weeks. 

The Storehouse was last year revealed to be Ireland’s most popular fee-paying tourist attraction in 2018, bringing in more than 1.7 million tourists throughout the year. 

Diageo confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the expected drop-off in tourist numbers over the coming months, which follows a four month closure during the height of the pandemic in Ireland, will now result in staff redundancies. 

The company did not confirm how many staff will be laid off.

In a statement, it said: “The Guinness Storehouse is currently working on preparations for reopening in July, having been closed since early March. 

“The tourism sector is expecting significantly reduced international visitor numbers for an extended period of time in Ireland, and the Guinness Storehouse must plan for its reopening on that basis.

“As a result of this impact, we are in consultation with our employee representative bodies on reducing our overall staffing numbers. Our employees have been informed about this process. We expect this consultation to be completed by the end of the month.”

The news of job cuts comes as Diageo announced plans of a new €14 million fund to support Irish pubs as they reopen over the coming weeks and months. 

The fund will focus on providing bars and pubs with practical equipment to give them an opportunity to operate safely in future.