Hospitality industry reps are heading to the Dáil on Tuesday to plead for their livelihoods.
The country’s publicans are on their knees, they’ve had enough and want to know when they can serve pints to their thirsty punters again.
Our local pub owners, restaurant operators and hotel workers have all been decimated by Covid, and their representatives will be in Leinster House tomorrow to beg the Government for help.
So-called ‘wet pubs’ will have been closed 372 days today since Covid gripped the country last March, with many having gone to the wall since then.
The publicans’ support group, the LVA (Licensed Vintners Association), is demanding a real plan from the Government at Tuesday's Oireachtas tourism committee meeting - and proper financial support for an industry that's on life support.
They are looking for definitive criteria for pub reopenings, linked to vaccination rates of the adult population.
They say restart grants need to be double what they were when pubs got the small window to reopen last summer.
The industry is almost completely broke and it wants the Government’s wage support schemes to be guaranteed until next March in a bid to help keep businesses afloat through the winter.
And they also want the “ridiculous discrimination” of so-called ‘wet pubs’ and preferential treatment for gastropubs and other food pubs to end.
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In a statement to the committee on Tuesday morning, LVA chairman Noel Andersen, of the famous Bridge Bar in Ballsbridge, and LVA chief executive, Donall O’Keeffe, will say: “The LVA understands the specific reopening dates cannot be provided at this time.
“However, we are calling on the Government to publicly communicate the circumstances that must apply to allow the full reopening of the hospitality sector, and the trading environment post reopening.”
It continues: “Given the extended closure our sector has endured, the pub trade could not countenance any further separation between food pubs and wet pubs.
“There must be a vaccination dividend in terms of reopening without restrictions.”
The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) is also calling for some “hope” from the Government out of the engagement in Leinster House.
RAI chief executive, Adrian Cummins, told the Mirror that half of the country’s restaurants face annihilation if they can’t reopen in a meaningful way soon.
There are 270,000 people employed in the sector, who are all facing financial ruin unless a proper plan is brought forward by the Government.
Mr Cummins said: “Hospitality businesses are on the brink of collapse, 50% of restaurants face permanent closure. We need a plan for reopening.
“We need a plan to re-employ staff and above all our industry needs hope. Current business supports do not go far enough.”
The LVA adds in conclusion: “Covid-19 has had an enormous impact on the licensed trade. “We would appreciate this Committee’s support for our sector by recommending the following to Government:
“1. Extension of Government financial supports to facilitate our longer-term recovery.
“2. Clarification on reopening scenarios for our members, and what (if any) public health restrictions might apply post-vaccination.
“3. Confirming there can be no justification for keeping wet pubs closed while allowing other parts of the hospitality sector to trade in summer 2021.
“As a result of vaccination, this artificial distinction between food businesses and wet pubs must be ended.”
