New Recovery and Renewal 2021 – The Path Ahead Plan doesn’t give Restaurants or Hospitality a clear road map to reopening with specific dates and metrics

• Government must now provide meaningful & appropriate financial supports for the survival of restaurants and hospitality businesses
• 150,000 Hospitality workers require certainty regarding their jobs and when they can return to work.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland has expressed extreme disappointment at the Government’s announcement of the revised plan for living with COVID today. The Association said extension to existing supports do not go far enough and said that it was unacceptable that no clear path to reopen was outlined and no information given on what metrics will now be used to determine reopening dates for restaurants and hospitality.

Adrian Cummins CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said: “The sector has been closed almost a year now and has complied with restrictions and lockdowns preventing businesses and employees for being able to work and to earn a living. They are now tiring and running out of money and in need of sight of the end goal.”

He continued: “If we are all in this together why are we; the public, businesses and employees not being informed of the plan for reopening sectors?! What metrics are being used, be they vaccinated people, hospital admissions, the R number? What do we all, as a society need to work towards to safely reopen again? Until that day what meaningful supports will be offered to businesses who simply cannot trade and are keeping banks and landlords at bay?”