Giving gardaí power to close pubs paves the way to reopening - minister

Under new legislation, gardaí will have the power to close pubs for 30 days if they repeatedly fail to comply with Covid-19 guidelines. Justice minister Helen McEntee claims this will "pave the way for a lot of other pubs to be opened". File Picture.

Providing gardaí with the power to shut pubs for up to a month will help pave the way to reopen all bars the Justice Minister has said.

Legislation coming before the Dáil today allows gardaí to enter pubs to inspect them. A Garda superintendent will have the power to immediately close a premises for the remainder of the day if they are found to be in breach of Covid-19 regulations.