Government agrees plans for reopening of indoor hospitality
Under the plan, people seeking to drink and dine indoors will have to show proof of being fully vaccinated or having recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months by way of a QR code sent out by the Government. File picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
The Cabinet has tonight agreed plans which will see the reopening of indoor hospitality from next week.
The new measures will operate until October 9, but they can be extended.
Under the plans agreed by Cabinet, hotels will also be able to cater for non-residents once the new regime kicks in.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said emergency legislation on reopening of indoor hospitality will have an "initial duration" of three months, but will "operate for no longer than necessary".
The new laws approved by Cabinet will have to be rushed through the Oireachtas this week, in order to allow premises open before Friday, July 23.
Ministers have approved the legislation by way of an incorporeal meeting this afternoon following lengthy discussions with the hospitality sector over the weekend.
Under the plan, people seeking to drink and dine indoors will have to show proof of being fully vaccinated or having recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months by way of a QR code sent out by the Government.
According to a letter sent to the Oireachtas health committee, seen by the , the legislation to allow vaccinated people eat and drink inside bars and restaurants will be in place for three months, with Oireachtas approval being required for any extension.
Mr Donnelly, in seeking a waiver from the requirement for pre-legislative scrutiny, warned that should the waiver not be granted, it would delay the Government's plans.
Sources have said the new law, if passed, will allow those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 to enter bars and restaurants, while those aged under 18 but accompanied by vaccinated parents or another vaccinated person will also be allowed access to indoor hospitality.
Under the proposed system, people who are fully vaccinated will receive a certificate including a QR code. This certificate can be shown on entry in app form, in paper form, or through an email on a phone, sources say.
Anyone caught with forged indoor dining passes face a €2,000 fine and/or a month in prison.
According to sources, it is believed the HSE and Health and Safety Authority are to be responsible for monitoring the hospitality industry once the new identification system is in place.
They are not believed to be enforcing the running of the system, but it is envisaged that An Garda Síochána are to be called on to police any serious breaches of the new regime.
Gardaí will also be able to apply to the district court for emergency closure orders for businesses found in breach of the new laws.
It has also been confirmed that people who have been vaccinated in the North, Britain, and the US will be allowed entry into bars and restaurants if they have proof of vaccination.
Following the establishment of a group to develop the rollout of antigen testing, the new legislation makes reference to the role antigen testing will play in hospitality “in the coming months".
Sources have said this proposal is part of the plan to make sure bars and restaurants will be able to continue to stay open from next week onwards and not have to close again.
