Cabinet to discuss proposal to scrap controversial regulation around pub meals

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says the recent regulation "isn't about the Government wanting to know what people had to eat in a pub or restaurant". Picture: Eamon Ward

A private members motion to scrap the new controversial regulations requiring pubs and restaurants to keep records of food sold for 28 days will be discussed at Cabinet today.

Speaking ahead of Cabinet, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: "What I can say categorically is this new regulation, this new statutory instrument only applies until September 13 after which it can be extended or amended.

"But this isn't about the Government wanting to know what people had to eat in a pub or restaurant. That's not it at all, it's just a regulation to make sure that those pubs that are serving meals and those pubs that are open as restaurants are abiding by the rules," he said.

The introduction of the regulations, which the government say are to ensure that pubs who claim to serve food have proof they are doing so, has been described as "bureaucracy gone mad" by Vintners Federation Ireland and "part of a Statutory Instrument introduced by the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly without any consultation with the hospitality sector".

Yesterday, members of the VFI picketed outside Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney's office in Carrigaline Co. Cork, with signs noting that over 2,000 jobs are at risk in Cork alone. Similar pickets were held outside the offices of Minister for Education Norma Foley in Tralee and TD Brendan Griffin in Castlemaine. Government TDs have been widely critical about the policy since it's announcement and it's understood cabinet members have recieved many representations from colleagues that the regulation was not going down well with the public.

Cabinet members will also discuss a memo from the Taoiseach's office, which will in line with the department's climate delivery goals, introduce climate stipulations on memos that come before the cabinet. From now on, when presenting memos, each department will have to acknowledge what effect or impact the proposal could potentially have on climate or emissions, both positively and negatively. Memos already stipulate the impact proposals could potentially have on different groups in society or state finances etc, and this new proposal will see each department track the impact on the climate too.

The meeting is expected to be dominated by Brexit discussions however there will also be the formal agreement of the transfer of departments, which will see Equality and Integration transferred from the Department of Justice to the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, and Heritage moving into the Department of Housing from the now-defunct Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

It's understood that the government will also discuss proposals from Simon Harris later this week on the establishment of a new adult literacy initiative, which will also include digital skills.

According to a senior source, the department's data states that around 16% of adults in Ireland have issues with reading.

"A group which are at risk of being people left behind as the Covid recession exacerbates job losses," they said.

It's understood the programme will be launched within the next six months with a new plan to tackle literacy rates in Ireland. Minister Harris will seek Government approval to develop a new 10-year strategy to improve literacy and digital skills among adults, a key programme for Government commitment.