Cafés that don't sell alcohol shouldn't be excluded from Covid support fund says RAI

Labour leader Alan Kelly blasted the current criteria as 'discriminatory' and 'nonsensical'

Restaurant or cafés must have a Special Restaurant Licence or a Wine Retailer’s On-Licence, to apply for the funding. Picture: Helena Lopes/Pexels

The Restaurant’s Association of Ireland has criticised the government for excluding cafés and restaurants that don’t sell alcohol from a key Covid-19 support fund from Fáilte Ireland.

The Covid-19 Adaptation Fund, which supports tourism and hospitality businesses that have had to adapt their premises to meet the Government’s guidelines for re-opening during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not include cafés and restaurants that are not licensed to sell alcohol.