Pubs will have to wait until June at the earliest before reopening as the government's latest lockdown plans have started to emerge.
Some significant changes to our current heavy restrictions are expected in May - but the outlook is still murky for the hospitality sector.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed on Sunday that the areas being targeted for a return next month include "construction, non-essential retail, personal services, museums, libraries and religious services".
While Taoiseach Micheal Martin gave a massively upbeat assessment of where we are in the path out of lockdown, committing to get things reopened “as fast as possible” in May.
Mr Martin was speaking at the annual Fianna Fáil 1916 Easter Rising commemoration, conducted virtually this year, where he made a significant commitment that the Government will move swiftly on restriction lifting next month.
It was also reported over the weekend that outdoor dining and drinking could be in line for a mid-June return, while indoor pubs may have to wait until July.
These are the proposals under a draft Government plan for easing out of lockdown, according to the Irish Mail on Sunday.
Government sources told the paper that outdoor dining will be back in the second week of June at the latest, two weeks after the county ban is lifted.
The news comes ahead of Government plans to announce their strategy for reopening the country across May, June and July.
Talking to reporters at a press conference last week, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said that plans for a re-opening of the hospitality sector, both indoor and outdoor, will be drawn up and published by the end of April.
He said that it is likely pubs and restaurants will re-open in either June or July.
He also stated that he is "increasingly confident" that it will be possible to have both indoor and outdoor dining available by July.
Mr Varadkar added that providing the country keeps going in the right direction, the Cabinet will set out what restrictions are to be eased across May, but will also set out in a revised plan as to what June and July might look like.
"We would expect to be in a position at the end of April to give an indication as to how hospitality might reopen across the course of June or July," he said.
"We have no deep detail on that yet, but the evidence is that outdoor dining is much safer than indoor, but it is hoped to get to the point where both will be possible.
"And, you know, I'm increasingly confident that it will be possible."
