PUBS AND restaurants could open sooner than planned, according to Ireland’s Business Minister Heather Humphreys.
Under the government’s newly-unveiled five-step plan for ending lockdown, pubs are scheduled to begin reopening from August 10.
Restaurants, meanwhile, are due to begin serving customers from late June.
However, Ms Humphreys has suggested that these timings could be pushed forward provided the threat of COVID-19 is brought under control.
Speaking alongside Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, the Business Minister said that if the virus was contained "there's no reason why those dates couldn't be accelerated".
"First of in terms of pubs, if we can keep the virus under control there is now a pathway for the hospitality sector so restaurants can be back by the end of June, hotels by mid-July and pubs by the 10th of August," she said.
"Many of them had concerns they wouldn't be able to open at all this year so I actually think the sector can take a lot of heart from the roadmap."
Ms Humphreys added: "I've spoken with the two main vintners associations this week and I know that officials will be meeting with the vintners in the coming days to discuss further how we can help them.
"It's about people working together and finding the solution and of course if we find that the coronavirus is abating considerably well there's no reason why these dates can't be accelerated."
However, she also warned that any increase in cases of coronavirus could have the adverse effect, resulting in a longer delay before pubs and restaurants return.
The government’s plans for the gradual reopening of services across Ireland attracted criticism from some in the pub industry who felt they were being discriminated against.
The Licensed Vintners Association has expressed dismay at the decision to allow restaurants to reopen six weeks earlier than pubs and bars.
"We're bitterly disappointed really, pubs are being treated as second-class citizens, they are the last channel in the hospitality sector to open,” Chief Executive Donall O'Keeffe said.
"We are calling on them to work with us on a re-opening plan for pubs.
"Social distancing challenges are the same for all hospitality businesses and all hospitality businesses should be able to open at the same time.”
