There have been five outbreaks of Covid-19 noted in pubs since the start of the pandemic, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
The Centre has recorded 2,736 outbreaks in other settings such as nursing homes, workplaces and private houses.
It comes as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said he believes all pubs should be allowed to open for business, while the HSE has insisted now is not the right time for a safe reopening of the remainder of Irish pubs.
Dr Colm Henry, a member of NPHET and the HSE's Chief Clinical Officer, said the experiences of other countries has highlighted the dangers these settings can pose: “I can’t think of specifically here, a major outbreak associated with a pub because of the restrictions that have been in place.
We’ve drawn unfortunate lessons from international experience where there was a rapid, large number of cases emerging from fairly lightning-like transmission in congregated settings in pubs.
"But we’ve drawn unfortunate lessons from international experience – Melbourne and Aberdeen where there was a rapid, large number of cases emerging from fairly lightning-like transmission in congregated settings in pubs, a lesson which unfortunately could be replicated anywhere.”
The reopening date for pubs without a licence to serve food has been delayed a number of times – they are due to remain shut until September 13th at the earliest.
Varadkar
Mr Varadkar has said he believes publicans can be trusted to follow Covid-19 public health guidance and will be able to manage their businesses in a way that would not put public health at risk.
Speaking to Live 95, Leo Varadkar said publicans should be “given that chance” to reopen.
He said: “Wet pubs are open in every country in Europe now, albeit with restrictions, and we’ve also seen how restaurateurs and gastropubs have done a really good job.
“Pubs serving food and restaurants have been open for months now, there are very few examples of clusters of infections in restaurants or gastropubs,” he said.
“They’ve shown that they can actually follow the rules and regulations, albeit with a few notable exceptions, and likewise publicans should be given that chance as well.”
Following Mr Varadkar's comments, Dr Henry said: "Now, with the reopening of schools and with the trends that we have seen in recent weeks, now is not the right time."
Garda powers
Mr Varadkar's comments come as Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that legislation to give gardaí greater powers to enforce public health regulations on pubs and restaurants amid the pandemic will help “bring us further on the road” to a more open society.
Smaller parties and Independents criticised the legislation as “draconian” given there are few offending businesses, but Ms McEntee insisted in the Dáil on Wednesday that the legislation would encourage “the small minority of licensed premises who are acting contrary to public health regulations to bring themselves into compliance”.
The Bill will give An Garda Síochána powers “to act swiftly to enforce the law” in this regard, where necessary, she said.
The publicans of Kerry are coming up with their Kerry jerseys and we’re going to the Dáil next Wednesday. And any publican around the country who’s worth his salt is more than welcome.
However, claims that the Government is planning to allow all pubs to reopen soon were dismissed by an Independent TD and publican.
Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae said the legislation being discussed in the Dáil is pointless without guidelines in place.
He said: “We do not have the rules or the regulations that will apply to the ‘wet pub’. And that’s why I’m not voting to give him, the Minister, the power … for rules and regulations that are not yet in place.”
Kerry publicans have now said they will march in Dublin on Wednesday in protest at the delay in reopening their premises.
Niall O'Callaghan, owner of the Fáilte Hotel in Killarney insists social distancing will be maintained at next week's demonstration: “We’re going to be in Dublin next Wednesday, the publicans of Kerry are coming up with their Kerry jerseys and we’re going to the Dáil next Wednesday. And any publican around the country who’s worth his salt is more than welcome.”
