• Level 3 – Devastating blow for Irish Hospitality
• Level 3 Restrictions across the country means a Hospitality Lockdown as Restaurants & Tourism businesses head into a harsh cold winter which will cause severe and permanent damage to Restaurant, Café & Pub businesses across the Country 
• Immediate Emergency Support Package for Restaurant, Café & Hospitality Sector Vital for Survival

Today’s announcement by Government will cause an economic meltdown for the Restaurants and Hospitality Sector in Dublin says Adrian Cummins CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland. The Government have failed to protect over 20,000 businesses in the region with over 180,000 jobs on the line this week.

Adrian Cummins added:

Putting Ireland’s entire Restaurant/ Hospitality Industry on level 3 restrictions is utterly disproportionate, devastating for workers & business owners, plus lacking in evidence based rationale.

Since June 29th, Restaurants & Hospitality businesses have implemented all of the guidelines and regulations in order to protect staff and customers, while sustaining their business and reacting to the ongoing economic turbulence. Since the last of the government’s new living with Covid framework, there has been absolutely no engagement from NPHET, the HSE or anyone in Government.

Government must implement an emergency support package for Restaurants, Cafes and Hospitality businesses across Ireland with immediate effect. We are also seeking an emergency meeting with the Taoiseach Michael Martin TD and Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD, to discuss this support package that will salvage hospitality businesses and protect jobs.

The anger and frustration is palpable across our industry at present and as the representative body for a sector that was first, worst, and continues to be hit most by Covid-19, we need constructive daily dialogue with Government going forward to ensure we exit this lockdown as quickly as possible. Public health is and will always be the number one focus. The economy must be a key focus also, businesses are on a cliff edge and this imposed lockdown will close many permanently.

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