Many Irish pubs could stay closed on June 29 due to the strict coronavirus restrictions, experts have warned.
Bars and restaurants serving food will finally be allowed to reopen on June 29, but only if they follow a number of new measures.
Among the proposed changes include reducing the social distancing limit from two metres to one metre and limiting customers to visits of 90 minutes.
The advice would also see customers required to pre-book, and businesses needing to serve a "substantial meal" costing at least €9.
Padraig Cribben from the Vintners' Federation of Ireland has praised the new one-metre limit, but said it would still present significant challenges to publicans.
He told Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One: "It's still very restrictive. We had independent research done, and even under a one-metre limit, seating capacity is reduced by 35%.
"So from a viability point of view it's going to be very challenging, but it's certainly considerably better than the alternative of two metres which would have reduced capacity to about 35%."
And Mr Cribben warned that many bars may choose to stay closed on June 29, and instead wait for the new phase 4 reopening on July 20.
It is not yet known if the two-metre rule will apply to normal pubs reopening next month, but the full guidelines are expected to be published on Thursday.
Mr Cribben added: "That is the requirement as is now laid down and individual operators will have to go away and decide if they can, or want to, operate within these guidelines.
"There are many who will say the 20th of July is only three weeks away, and they're going to wait and see.
"There are many, and I've been talking to some who do food, who may or may not open on the 29th, because there are still significant challenges even with one metre.
"Although the guidelines are becoming clearer, we do need to get the full set of guidelines, and we're now promised we will have them tomorrow morning."
