Updated industry guidelines to stop the spread of Covid-19 in restaurants, cafes and licensed premises serving food from Fáilte Ireland will now require businesses to keep a record of what each customer orders, along with the date and time of their arrival.
They must also allow no more than six people from three separate households at a table, while the name and contact details of one person per party must be recorded with all details kept on file for four weeks.
Why does the Government think this law will help in the fight against Covid? It’s madness.
The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) has said the new requirement is “bureaucracy gone mad” which will add a huge burden to already struggling businesses.
VFI Chief Executive Padraig Cribben said: “This is crazy stuff. The idea that a pub must record all food ordered by each customer and then store it for 28 days is bureaucracy gone mad. Not only is it too impractical for our members to implement, but why does the Government think this law will help in the fight against Covid? It’s madness."
Update
How did we get to a position of having to record everything customers eat in the NEW @Failte_Ireland guidelines
from
the original announcement on 18th August by Government of new measures for Restaurants
Please see what was announced
👇🔴👇https://t.co/5LneicsvmEAdvertisement— Adrian Cummins 🇮🇪🇪🇺 (@adriancummins) September 3, 2020
Restaurants Association of Ireland CEO Adrian Cummins said the association was not made aware of the guidelines around maintaining a record of customers’ orders: “This has just slipped in without any consultation with the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
“This will add extra regulatory burden to our members, and considering that moves are now afoot to try and get wet pubs open in October, this will effectively be null and void in four weeks’ time.”
The new guidelines come as the Dáil debates new powers for gardaí to shut down pubs and restaurants who are not complying with public health regulations.
