Government decision on indoor dining due Wednesday amid rising case numbers

Pictured at the opening of the Haulbowline Island Recreational Amenity are, from left: Cllr. Gillian Coughlan; Minister Michael McGrath; An Taoiseach Micheál Martin; Cormac Ó Suilleabháin, Senior Engineer, Cork County Council and Tim Lucey, Chief Executive, Cork County Council. Picture: Brian Lougheed

The Government will decide on Wednesday if indoor hospitality can reopen as planned, according to the Taoiseach.

He was speaking as Ireland's five-day average Covid-19 infection rate reached its highest since mid-February, with a further 1,377 cases of Covid-19 confirmed by officials at the Department of Health on Saturday.

At present, there are 78 patients in Covid-19 in hospital, of whom 22 are receiving treatment in intensive care units.

Speaking at the opening of the People's Park Haulbowline in Cork Harbour, Mr Martin said he has a meeting with Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, and that the Government will then meet on Wednesday.

“We’re going to give this very serious consideration”, he said, with regard to planning for August and September.

He said although the Government “obviously made a commitment” in relation to indoor hospitality, it will "be considering these issues again on Wednesday, in terms of formally deciding on issues.

“But as things now, travel will commence on Monday, in terms of our joining the European Union framework and indoor dining for the vaccinated.” 

He also said: “But I do think we're in a different stage of the pandemic compared to six months ago, compared to this time last year. And that will then have to inform how we approach it.” 

Appearing to contradict Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, who said unvaccinated people should “behave like it’s March 2020”, he said: “It's not a simple matter of doing things we did a year ago, that necessarily will sort it out this time.” 

He flatly denied there was any tension between himself and Dr Holohan, who has been very clear about not wanting children to be allowed to dine indoors.

“There is no tension”, he said, speaking at the opening of the €24m People’s Park Haulbowline.

“We just need to keep things in perspective. There is no tension, we work together.

“The broad, broad brush of public health advice has been adopted by the Government and has been put into legislation.

“We went through the Dáil. Many in the Dáil objected to it on the basis that they wanted everybody to be allowed in (vaccinated and unvaccinated, entirely into indoor dining). We don't.

“We've followed the public health advice in that regard. I spoke to Tony yesterday, there's no tension.

“We need to keep things in perspective because there has to be common purpose, as there has been from the outset of the pandemic between government, public health advice. That's very important and I take that very seriously indeed.”