Minister Catherine Martin has said there has been “no clear decision” made yet on whether antigen tests may be required to enter a nightclub when they reopen on October 22.
The first nightclub pilot event will happen tonight at the Button Factory and speaking ahead of it, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture said the pilot trial will be an experiment with the use of antigen tests.
When asked if antigen testing will be required to enter nightclubs from October 22 when all the Government lifts all legal restrictions, Ms Martin said: “Well that’s what we’re going to experiment with tonight because the industry has said it’s maybe something that they would need so that’s why we’re seeing the effect of it and the impact of antigen testing tonight.
“So no clear decision has been made on that.
“The expert advisory group on antigen testing is due to report in the coming days and these were the sort of issues we asked them to examine so we have to have this done.”
Ms Martin said she noted in her engagement with those working in the club scene that they had expressed they’d like the use of rapid tests to be examined.
She said: “I think fans have been deprived of music and the club scene for so long.
“I know myself I would do it just to make sure I could go clubbing or to a music event or a concert.
“I think there is that element of you know, we want everybody back working, we want to enjoy music again.
“We want everyone who works behind the scenes to be working too so I think there is..we talk about personal responsibility, that personal responsibility and commitment of the fan too is something that’s needed to get all these people working again and enjoying music.
“It is something that those who work in the club scene have said they want examined so that’s why we’re doing this tonight to see if it is cumbersome and can it be done.
“And we’ve asked the expert advisory group to report back as well.
“All is to be examined but I note from engagement from the sector it is something that they want examined and that’s why we’re doing it tonight.”
Speaking in the Dáil earlier on Thursday, Tanáiste Leo Varadkar reiterated that social distancing will no longer be a legal requirement once restrictions will be lifted on October 22.
Mr Varadkar also said people will also be able to order a drink at a bar again from that date.
He was speaking in response to his Fine Gael colleague Jennifer Carroll MacNeill who raised the issue that some maternity hospitals are still imposing restrictions on pregnant couples.
She said a pregnant woman or couple could attend a pilot nightclub event in the Button Factory on Thursday night with the use of a vaccine pass and an antigen test but if they attend a maternity hospital tomorrow, they may not be allowed together.
Mr Varadkar said he shared Mc MacNeill’s frustration and said he will raise the matter with Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly again.
The Fine Gael leader also reconfirmed that the Government is to lift all legal restrictions on October 22 including rules on the hospitality sector.
He said: “On the 22nd of October we are going to remove almost all legal restrictions in this State that were introduced as a consequence of the pandemic.
“There will be no social distancing required.
“Hospitality venues will be able to return to the capacity they had pre-pandemic.
“People will be able to order a drink at a bar.
“And in that context it is hard to justify the continuing restrictions on partners attending visits with their pregnant partners.”
He added: “I share the frustration, we as a Government don’t want to overrule or take away the autonomy of doctors and nurses at local level in a hospital, making decisions they have to make particularly if there’s an outbreak or a cluster.
“But that really should be exceptional and it seems to be more than exceptional at this stage.
I share the Deputy’s frustration and I will certainly raise it with the CMO and with the Minister for Health again.”
