Pub owners warn that overly strict guidelines on 'wet pubs' won't be acceptable

The Licensed Vintners Association has said that all hospitality businesses should be subject to the same guidelines and restrictions.

Pub owners are warning that strict rules aimed specifically at 'wet pubs' when they reopen will not be acceptable.

The warning comes amid reports that the government is considering allowing all pubs to reopen by the middle of this month.

It is understood that draft guidelines are currently being worked through by stakeholders.

The Licensed Vintners Association has said that all hospitality businesses should be subject to the same guidelines and restrictions.

Speaking on Newstalk this evening, Donal O'Keefe, Chief Executive of the Licensed Vintners Association says the public also have a responsibility when it comes to pubs reopening:

There’s two parties that have responsibility here, clearly the publican has a significant responsibility to make sure that the premises complies with all the guidelines, but also the public, our customers, must comply with those guidelines.

"From what we have seen from our pubs that serve food that are reopened, compliance by both publicans and our customers has been extremely high, and we would expect that to continue to be the case for wet pubs as well."