Micheál Martin: 'Overreaction' to rules requiring keeping records of meals

Taoiseách Micheal Martin said he has 'no interest in finding out what people are eating'. Picture: Brian Lawless. 

The Taoiseach has claimed there has been an "overreaction" to new rules requiring pubs and restaurants to keep a record of meals served.

The Government have been forced to clarify and defend the latest requirements, with Micheál Martin stating he has "no interest in finding out what people are eating" and instead the new rules are designed to protect businesses.

"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," said Mr Martin.

The new rules sparked anger from both industry bodies, opposition parties and some Government TDs with the Vintners Federation of Ireland dubbing them "bureaucracy gone mad".

The guidelines which were put forward by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and approved by Cabinet mean that pubs and restaurants will have to keep details of all food orders for 28 days.

However, Mr Martin said this does not mean businesses will be expected to retain information on what each customer has to eat, instead they will be asked to prove that a substantial meal was served.

The Taoiseach added that the regulations will only be in force for a short time and would be axed once so-called 'wet pubs' reopen, but he could not provide a date for this.

"Overall, I think this would be a short duration, in the sense that I think we now have guidance in terms of how we can enable to pubs to reopen and once the pubs reopen that regulation will become redundant.

"But I do understand that people are becoming fatigued with Covid-19 and all that it brings. And we're very anxious to work with people, work with the different sectors of society and the economy to enable them to enter a new phase of dealing with Covid."

Mr Martin said the Government is now working on a medium-term Covid plan due to be published on September 14, which includes the hospitality sector.

"The Government wants to enable pubs to reopen, we want to enable people to be back at matches again in reasonable numbers, that they can watch sporting occasions. All that will form part of the wider plan in terms of how we deal with Covid over the next nine to 12 months."

A number of Fianna Fáil TDs including Marc McSharry, Eamon Ó Cuív, James O'Connor and junior minister Anne Rabbitte came out against the measures with Mr McSharry describing them as "stasi-like".

Mr Donnelly said his Fianna Fáil colleagues were "absolutely wrong" and defended the measures claiming they are "about protecting the people working in the restaurant industry".

The minister admitted that there had been failures in how the new regulations had been publicised and there is a need to communicate the details full with stakeholders as quickly as possible.

Sinn Féin enterprise spokesperson Louise O’Reilly said that the new rules will place an additional burden on a sector struggling to remain open.

"The chaotic way that these bizarre regulations have been introduced is becoming typical of this government," she said.