Tánaiste and Culture Minister to Meet Hospitality Industry Reps Today

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Culture Minister Catherine Martin are meeting representatives of the events and hospitality industries today as new restrictions are set to impact the sectors.

From Tuesday indoor events will be restricted to 50% capacity. Pubs and restaurants will be limited to six people per table with social distancing enforced.

The Tánaiste and Minister Martin will discuss the impact of the latest restrictions with sector representatives in today's meeting.

Elaine O’Connor, co-founder of the Event Industry Association of Ireland will be in attendance. She is calling for targeted supports for the industry and the establishment of an events taskforce.

"We’re at our lowest ebb now, and while we’re grateful to be added in on this occasion to this meeting, we need more," she said of her industry. "To run a gig at 50% capacity, you’d have to have been making 50% profit essentially beforehand."

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said he expects the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to return to the top rate of €350 per week for those affected by the latest restrictions.

"I’ll simply say that we appreciate that there is a group of workers in a really important part of our hospitality sector in particular who are finding themselves unemployed again within a year and we have a particular responsibility to them," he said.