Gardai are to be given sweeping new powers which will allow them to breakup house parties and close pubs not following public health guidelines.
Cabinet is meeting today to agree legislation that will give gardai to permission issue a compliance notice to a pub owner, which will ask them to address any issues there
Under the new laws they can give an immediate closure order for a day if regulations are breached such as customers not consuming food or social distancing, RTE reports.
Bar owners could also face a fine of up to €2,500 or a six-month prison sentence.
Gardai will also be able to apply to the District Court for an Emergency Closure Order, which could close a pub for up to 30 days.
If Cabinet approves the legislation it will make it an offence to organise or attend a gathering at a private home of more than six people indoors or outdoors.
Currently restrictions are in place which prohibit groups of more than six people meeting indoors.
And pubs must serve a "substantial meal" worth at least €9 in order
Meanwhile, wet pubs look set to remain closed after Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said yesterday it was the wrong time to raise the shutters.
He said: “We want pubs to reopen, let’s be very clear about that. We want people to be able to go into pubs and socialise, but right now is not the time.
“We’ve seen a deterioration in the parameters we monitor. It has been described as a tipping point, I hope it’s not the tipping point.
“But today is not the day to consider reopening pubs. It would be entirely the wrong message given the current situation.”t a private home of more than six people indoors or outdoors.
Pubs will remain closed until at least September 13 when a raft of restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings announced last week will be reviewed.
It comes as it emerged that Ireland’s pubs have endured the longest lockdown in Europe.
A drinks industry lobby group found that bars are open in all other member states.
Thirteen countries including Italy have had their bars open since May.
A further 10 began trading again in June, one earlier this month while two nations never closed the sector.
Sixty percent of Ireland’s pubs have been closed since March 16.
The others which serve food opened as restaurants on June 29.
