GOVERNMENT MINISTERS in Ireland are discussing the potential introduction of a nationwide 8pm curfew on the sale of alcohol.
Northern Ireland has already moved to introduce an 8pm cut-off on off-licences and supermarkets selling booze.
Now the Republic is weighing up whether to follow suit with Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan due to meet northern counterpart Dr Michael McBride to discuss the introduction of the measures as part of a joined-up approach to reducing Covid-19 case numbers.
Further Education Minister Simon Harris previously confirmed the Government is considering following suit.
“I am conscious that in the North they have decided to bring in a closing time in relation to off-licenses at eight o’clock,” he said.
“I have heard people in Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal saying, would it not be better to be as closely aligned as possible?”
”When we look at what we are doing the Republic and say, ‘Why don’t they do that in the North?’, we have to be mature enough to look at some of the good things they are doing in the North and see if we can benefit and learn from that too.”
He also warned that the Level 3 restrictions banning household visits would not be reversed unless case numbers began to drop.
The measures are due to be reviewed on November 10.
“The success, or otherwise, of it will depend on how seriously we all take it,” he said.
Asked separately about the possible introduction of an 8pm curfew on alcohol sales Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: “We’ve ruled nothing out. We will engage with the North in relation to those issues.”
