NEWS
A MORE NUANCED SOLUTION
Needed
Restrictions back on the table for pubs and nightclubs
J
ust three weeks after reopening, late-night pubs and nightclubs are once again subject to restricted trading hours. All pubs, restaurants and nightclubs are now required to trade no later than midnight and despite the difficulties the new curfew will present to businesses, no mention has been made so far of the reintroduction of financial supports. Commenting on the move, VFI Chief Executive Padraig Cribben said: “The decision to introduce a new closing time of midnight from this Thursday will effectively close many late night pubs and night clubs. It will also seriously restrict other outlets at the most critical time of the year. Given the deteriorating health situation it’s no surprise government is forced to take action, but it is disappointing that the hospitality sector is at the forefront of those actions. Supports will now be vital for impacted businesses and we’re calling for the immediate reintroduction of the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) for members who have to close.” He added that restricted trading hours will also impact traditional pubs who have to cope with cancelled bookings ahead of what was meant to be a busy Christmas period. “We were told back in August after indoor trade was reopened that restrictions would be fully removed in October. We’re now in a position where restrictions are actually getting tighter. Supports will be crucial in the months ahead, a fact government needs to address immediately for the simple reason the trade cannot sustain another period of profound uncertainty.” The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) has also called on the government to immediately reintroduce Covid supports for the late night sector and to develop practical, longer term solutions for hospitality. It added that new restrictions place a question mark on the longer term viability of the late night industry until such time as practical longer term solutions are developed that allow businesses to trade while the pandemic persists. It’s essential that various measures like the CRSS, EWSS and PUP are reimplemented immediately for the late night sector and for anyone who will be
impacted by these latest restrictions said the Association, along with the waiving of commercial rates for as long as the restrictions remain in place. “Effectively this latest announcement means that the current government strategy isn’t working,” said Donall O’Keeffe, LVA Chief Executive. “We were told that if we waited until the majority of the public was vaccinated, we would be able to get back to trading. Well, we waited and that wasn’t enough. Like the rest of the country, of course we are conscious of the worsening health situation. But this will still be really hard news for those working in the sector to take. Late night hospitality was closed for 585 consecutive days, got to open for 27 days and now they face another indefinite period of closure. It also needs to be acknowledged that every time the government flicks the switch on restrictions, there are consequences for people’s livelihoods and the businesses that sustain those livelihoods. We will have enormous difficulty retaining our staff after this latest decision.” O’Keeffe said the latest restrictions cast doubts about the viability of the late night sector for as long as the pandemic persists. “When will we be in a position to allow that sector to reopen and trade again? Will we have Donall O'Keeffe, to go through this whole LVA Chief Executive process again and again? What is to stop this cycle from repeating itself next year? What seems clear is that more nuanced, longer term, practical solutions are now needed. Solutions that will enable environments that are regarded as ‘high risk’ to operate safely. For example, perhaps now the government needs to start examining affordable ventilation schemes for the industry?”
"Will we have to go through this whole process again and again? What is to stop this cycle from repeating itself next year?"
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