Taoiseach: There's been an 'overreaction' to the 'misinterpreted' pub and restaurant guidelines

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the APC headquarters in Dublin today. He said the rules around receipts are about protecting compliant pubs and restaurants. Picture Andres Poveda

Update: The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said there has been an "overreaction" to the issue of pubs and restaurants having to keep records of all food orders for 28 days.

The Government has clarified there is no requirement for individual records of what everyone eats, but they must be able to show a substantial meal was served.

It comes after a wave of confusion within the hospitality sector over the temporary measures, with industry groups furious over the announcement.

However, Mr Martin said it is about protecting pubs and restaurants who are obeying the rules.

The Taoiseach said: "I have to say it got misinterpreted, it got misrepresented completely as somehow Government trying to have an investigation or assessment of what people are eating, that was never the case.

"We have no interest in finding out what people are eating but what we do have is an interest in protecting businesses that are obeying the rules and avoiding any rogue businesses that are out there.” 

The new guidelines also require businesses to take contact details for one member of a party – and to note the time the group arrives.

Meanwhile, all straws to be individually wrapped and decorations on cocktail glasses to be kept to a minimum.

Stephen Donnelly: Pubs and restaurants keep receipts for years, we just need them for 28 days

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said that there will be no additional administrative burden on pubs and restaurants under the temporary measures requiring restaurants and pubs serving food to retain records of all food orders for 28 days.

They are already keeping a till receipt for VAT purposes, he told RTÉ radio’s News at One. 

He said: "These receipts are kept for up to six or seven years, they just need to make it available for inspection for 28 days."

Mr Donnelly also said that the new regulations would help enforcement against “the tiny minority” who were flouting the rules.

The measure had been brought in as a temporary measure until the wet pubs reopen and were aimed at protecting pubs and restaurants who were compliant with the regulations, he said. 

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that the new regulations would help enforcement against “the tiny minority” who were flouting the rules. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The vast majority were complying with the regulations and had done “huge work”.

The only places that will be asked to show the till receipts will be pubs which are suspected of flouting the regulations, he added. 

"Details will not be required of everyone at the table, just the lead name and number which is required for contact tracing."

Mr Donnelly said there was a wide group of stakeholders involved and it was never the aim to upset people. 

Communicating the details with the stakeholders was “a whole of Government job”, but he said “we are living in unprecedented times” and the Government was having to do things within days that would normally take months.

The Minister acknowledged that there was a need to communicate the details fully with the stakeholders as quickly as possible. 

Mr Donnelly also said that he did not understand the reaction of the Opposition and members of his own Government to the regulations. 

“I don’t understand why there’s a problem. The regulations were published online on Tuesday.” 

When asked if the Government’s new Road Map on Covid-19 should be brought forward, Mr Donnelly said that they shouldn't, that the Government should take the extra few days to communicate with stakeholders.