The government is planning to permit smaller crowds back to sporting event. Taoiseach Micheal Martin recently said that they are working on new guidance to start new schemes and also to reopen pubs and restaurants.
The government plans to permit the crowd in sporting events and travel destinations as a part of the Stay and Spend scheme. The scheme will operate from autumn until spring 2020.
Based on the current guidelines, pubs that provide necessary meals at the price of minimum €9 have been functioning since months. Whereas some 3,500 wet pubs across the country had to remain closed.
‘The Government was not in a position to recommence and fulfill the roadmap in terms of the reopening of pubs based on public health advice,’ he said.
Mr. Martin said that the reopening of the pubs was kept at bay, because there were other serious matters like the reopening of schools that required more attention.
He also said that the increasing number of covid patients was also a prime reason to delay the reopening of the wet pubs in the country.
‘We do want to open up other sectors of the economy, including pubs,’ he said.
‘At the moment guidance is being worked on with the public health authorities in relation to conditions that would apply in the event of pubs reopening.’
He continued: ‘We understand genuinely the enormous disappointment among publicans across the country.
Mr. Martin said that a new action plan will be announced soon this month and that will include not only the reopening of the pubs, but also sports, travel and other factors too.
A €16million support package for the sector previously by the Tanaiste Leo Varadkar in the context in which he said that the pubs might be kept closed until next year.
During the Stay and Spend scheme launch Taoiseach Micheal Martin said that the scheme will provide a maximum of €125 in income tax credits to tax-payers who have spent up to €625 in restaurants, pubs, hotels and B&Bs.
The new scheme will be made available to 2.7 million people, said Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.