Last proto-call for pubs

Publicans on Leeside are still waiting for a crucial Government document outlining all necessary protocols needed for a large-scale reopening of pubs on 20 July.

With just 11 days to go, Leeside publican and Cork City Chairperson of Vintners Federation Ireland (VFI), Michael O’Donovan, told the Cork Independent that publicans are “sitting and waiting” for the document to be issued before finalising their plans for reopening.

“As of today, we’re still waiting. So it's very hard for us to say that we're definitely going to open when we still haven't seen it,” said Mr O’Donovan.

Mr O’Donovan, who owns The Castle Inn on South Main Street, said that due to the uncertainty surrounding the document, it is difficult to make any solid plans for the future.

He said: “It's getting to a point now where it's a little bit frustrating. There will probably be a scramble to get things done in the last few days. That could have been avoided.”

Earlier this week, newly appointed Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the reopening of pubs might have to be delayed if customers and publicans didn’t adhere to guidelines.

However, according to Mr O’Donovan, the lateness of the document is a more plausible cause for a potential delay in reopening.

“We don't fully know what we will have to do to comply with whatever guidelines are there. If protocols and arrangements within this document are too onerous, I can see pubs not opening on 20 July,” said Mr O’Donovan.

He also underlined the difficulties in deciding whether to bring staff back to work or to leave them on the Covid Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

He said: “Staff will then need to be trained and certified. When you don't know what date you'll be ready to open, it's very difficult to make these plans.”

According to Mr O’Donovan, between 50 and 60 per cent of Cork’s pubs are still closed and, although eager to reopen, some are unsure whether they can.

“Talking to a lot of them, they all have an appetite to reopen, but are unsure whether they can until we see this document. Until then they won’t make a final decision,” he explained.

Looking forward, Mr O’Donovan said that if a second wave of Covid-19 were to hit Ireland, it could spell disaster for his industry.

“We are hoping and praying that a second wave won’t come. If that was to transpire it would cost a lot of jobs in our industry and it would take a long time for this trade to recover,” he concluded.