FOUR OUT OF 10 Dublin pubs are planning to re-open ‘as restaurants’ on 29 June, according to a new survey. 

According to the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), more than four in 10 pubs in Dublin will open earlier than anticipated under the government’s Covid-19 roadmap. 

The survey of 300 pubs, carried out between 18 and 19 May, found that 44% would re-open on 29 June alongside restaurants and cafes.

These pubs with restaurant accreditation would be able to open on the earlier date, the LVA said. The government’s plan currently puts 10 August as the date when pubs should re-open. 

The LVA said that this could see 330 of the 750 pubs across the country re-open at the end of June. 

“This again highlights the urgent need for the Government to engage with the pub sector,” said LVA Chief Executive Donall O’Keeffe. 

“These venues have restaurant certificates and are just as capable of following the public health guidelines as restaurants and cafes. Food is a major aspect of their business so why should they be treated differently to other venues serving food and alcohol?” he said. 

“We made it clear this would happen when the roadmap was announced, but we are still awaiting a meeting with Government to discuss the future for pubs, despite their public comments that they will meet the vintner organisations quickly.  Our members cannot remain in limbo,” O’Keefe added. 

Pubs have been lobbying the government to allow them to re-open earlier than 10 August. 

No matter how pubs re-open, they’re nearly certain to look very different than they did before the pandemic – with strict physical distancing in place and no sitting, standing or drinking at the bar allowed. 

Source: The Explainer/SoundCloud