Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar and the Minister for Tourism,Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin today welcomed theGovernment decision to agree a phased approach to reopen the hospitality sector in a cautious but progressive manner.
The Ministers and their officials and agencies have worked with hospitality industry representatives and unions over the last two weeks to assess options to operationalise the NPHET advice of 28 June that restrictions on indoor restaurant and bar services be eased for those that are fully vaccinated or recovered by COVID-19. The lifting of restriction was initially scheduled for 5 July2021, but the rapid spread of the Delta variant internationally and modelling of the potential impacts on public health in Ireland led to NPHET advising a more cautious approach to reopening