No charges or closure orders of pubs under Covid-19 laws

Last August, on the day of the All-Ireland hurling final, large crowds gathered inside and outside pubs near Croke Park resulting in complaints of breaches of social distancing rules, leading to the temporary closure of one pub. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

No closure orders were issued against pubs and no prosecutions were taken under emergency powers introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But An Garda Síochána said the legal provisions acted as a “significant deterrent” against the minority of pub owners who had attempted to “flout the law” by bringing them into compliance with the law.