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.

If a pub continues to breach the guidelines, gardaí can also apply for a temporary closure order to shut the premises for three days. Businesses that repeatedly fail to comply with the rules would see that closure order extended for up to 30 days.

Gardaí have inspected thousands of premises since pubs serving food opened in June and have found 165 breaches of Covid guidelines, however they have no powers to act.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee hopes the tougher laws will pave the way to reopen so-called 'wet pubs'.

"This is something that we've been looking at because, at the moment, you have to serve a substantial meal. Not all pubs are able to do that, not all publicans want to do that, that's not the space that they've been working in for many years," she said.

"So if you were in a normal pub where there isn't food being served with these measures implemented, it will pave the way for a lot of our other pubs to be opened."

Speaking on RTÉ radio, Ms McEntee said she had a "duty" to inform the Taoiseach when she learned that former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan was stopped by gardaí for using a phone while driving.

She said the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has the power under various pieces of legislation to pass on information.

"It is at his discretion, completely, that information be made available to me. It was made available through the Secretary General, as it often is the case, and once I was made aware, I gave this information to the Taoiseach as head of the government.

"When the Garda Commissioner informs me and informs government, I believe it's my duty then to inform the Taoiseach as head of government," she said.