The latest announcement by the Government to delay the reopening of pubs has been criticised by the Galway chairman of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI ) Cllr Joe Sheridan.
The Tuam area councillor who owns Walsh’s Bar in Dunmore, says the Government’s decision to delay the opening of pubs for the fourth occasion shows a disconnect by those making and implementing regulations and those who are affected by them.
Cllr Sheridan said; “There is definitely a void between what is happening on the ground and in the Pale where decisions are being taken. They don’t have a clue.
“[The approach] is completely disjointed. There is a 29 body board who is relaying on data from bars on the continent; bars in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; they are comparing two completely different [bar cultures]. Having a drink in Germany, you might as well be having a drink on the moon if you are going to try and compare it with having a drink in a pub in rural Ireland.
“Seriously, you do not need to be Einstein to see that there is a real disconnect [between the Government and Ireland’s publicans].”
The most recent delay meant some 155 pubs in the county were unable to welcome back their customers on Monday and the Fianna Fáil councillor argued that it could be the death knell for up a third of those establishments in spite of the Government’s €16 million support package and waivers for licence and court fees.
“With the way regulations are going, up to a third [of 155 Galway pubs still closed] may not reopen. Giving the example of myself, I am paying a running cost of €218 per week because I can’t turn off the electricity. I’m six months shut but can’t turn off the ESB or heating because my pub is 250 years old and would crumble.
“I have had four false starts [but each time] I have bought in stock and organised the training of staff to adhere to the health regulations. To say they are going to waive the fees is just an insult. Pubs have held the line for 170 days for the good of public health. They have pussy-footed around with the regulations and we have been left in the complete dark. It is like these policies have been plucked out of the sky.
“[The Government] say we are all in this together but are we? For publicans it doesn’t feel like we are in this together.”
Since June 29, pubs that serve food have been permitted to re-open under strict guidelines, but other pubs have had to remain shut.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar announced on Friday evening after a Cabinet meeting that a support package for publicans was to be introduced.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, said the package would be worth up to €4,000 for licence holders, and confirmed it would also apply to restaurants, hotels, and bars that are already open.
