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Staff at the Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow preparing for guests arriving from today. Leon Farrell

Hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses can reopen from today

Indoor dining and leisure facilities at hotels are also permitted to reopen for guests.

IN THE NEXT step of easing Covid-19 restrictions, hotels and other tourist accommodation can reopen their doors from today.

Hotels, B&Bs, hostels, guesthouses and other tourism accommodation are now permitted to reopen.

Indoor hotel bars and restaurants, along with leisure facilities, can also resume for overnight guests only. 

The gradual hospitality reopening will continue from 7 June with the return of outdoor services at restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars.

The Tourism and Arts Minister Catherine Martin said the easing of restrictions for the tourism and hospitality sector “represents a further important step” in the government’s reopening plan.

“Accommodation and restaurants along with pubs and bars will be able to reopen their doors after this difficult period of enforced closure,” Martin said in a statement.

“I know that all tourism and hospitality businesses will extend a warm Céad Míle Fáilte to their guests and I encourage people to keep discovering the delights our country has to offer.

“This will drive much needed and sustained footfall to local tourism and hospitality businesses as they reopen over the coming weeks.”

Paul Kelly, the chief executive of Fáilte Ireland, said the safe reopening of tourism and hospitality will “provide a much needed boost to our national recovery”. 

Publicans and restaurateurs have been critical of the fact that hotels will be permitted to serve food indoors to residents from today while restaurants and pubs cannot.  

The Restaurants Association of Ireland described it as an “arbitrary, unjust and discriminative” decision.

The Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said last Friday that it doesn’t make sense to change the “anomaly” of hotels being permitted to serve food and drink indoors while indoor dining is banned elsewhere, for the month-long period of disparity. 

Indoor services in all pubs and restaurants can return from 5 July.

The chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, Tim Fenn, said hotels are “delighted” to be reopening, but there are “significant costs” after months of closure. 

“Government supports to date have been very welcome. Nonetheless hotels are facing a slow recovery, and this must be recognised,” Fenn said.

“The hotel sector was brought to its knees by the Covid-19 restrictions. Tourism will recover but, in the meantime, hotels which are an integral part of its infrastructure require continued government supports to enable survival and take those first and all-important steps into recovery,”

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    Mute Marian Jennings Reilly
    Favourite Marian Jennings Reilly
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    Sep 25th 2013, 8:27 AM

    Please god this lady is found safe

    219
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    Mute Dalai Obama
    Favourite Dalai Obama
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    Sep 25th 2013, 8:30 AM

    There is hope,last year a limerick woman suffering from Alzheimers was found alive and well in a field a few days after she went missing.

    Hope this beautiful woman is found alive and well.

    158
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    Mute Rebecca eaton
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    Sep 25th 2013, 8:48 AM

    Bless her I hope she is found soon safe and well my thoughts are with her family xx

    100
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    Mute Brenda Campbell
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    Sep 25th 2013, 1:41 PM

    Thankfully the weather is mild….a man, in similar circumstances, was found alive and well yesterday in Galway having been missing for 2 nights. He was located in a wooded area not far from where he had gone missing.

    33
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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 25th 2013, 9:33 AM

    Its very sad when you hear things like this, I hope shes ok

    58
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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Sep 25th 2013, 2:13 PM

    As a carer for my own Mum who has Alzhiemers,i pray that this beautiful Lady is found alive & well,i can’t imagine the torment that her family is going through.

    33
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    Mute Michael Quigley
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    Sep 25th 2013, 9:54 AM

    Just heard this on this radio. Hopefully she is safe and will return home soon.

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    Mute Michael Quigley
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    Sep 25th 2013, 9:57 AM

    Inconsiderate before the spelling police arrive

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    Mute Michael Quigley
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    Sep 25th 2013, 9:56 AM

    Show some respect anthony instead of writing inconsoderate comments.

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    Mute Anne Ryan
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    Sep 25th 2013, 11:15 AM

    Hope she is found safe,, poor woman :-(

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    Mute Michelle Mc Loughney
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    Sep 25th 2013, 1:12 PM

    Yes. Hope there is a good outcome. Volunteers are the backbone of eveey community in a situation like this.

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    Mute Larry Lemur
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    Sep 25th 2013, 10:31 AM

    Anthony! What a moron

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    Mute Eileen Demirarslan Mallon
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    Sep 25th 2013, 12:25 PM

    Jesus we trust in you

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    Mute Emma
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    Sep 25th 2013, 2:14 PM

    Poor woman and her family hopefully she comes home safe

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    Mute Margaret Martin
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    Sep 25th 2013, 12:33 PM

    Pray to st Anthony.i payed for 2 missing people last week.both were found safe and well

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    Mute Kitty Con Carne Burnell
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    Sep 26th 2013, 1:38 PM

    For all the people who red-thumbed this (who I assume are part of the anti-religion crusade)

    Whether or not praying actually works, it makes the person doing it feel like they’re helping. For family or friends who have exhausted all the options, it reassures them and makes them feel slightly safer knowing that they are appealing to a higher power (or that other people are doing that too, and keeping their loved one in their thoughts)

    Why red thumb what is basically good will? I don’t believe in a god but if someone wants to pray for me, I’d be happy that they considered me.

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    Mute Margaret Martin
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    Sep 25th 2013, 3:19 PM

    Ignorant comment michelle

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    Mute Michelle Mc Loughney
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    Sep 25th 2013, 3:59 PM

    I’ll pray for you to get over it.

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    Mute Edel Byrne
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    Sep 25th 2013, 9:23 PM

    Very sad and must be so scary for the woman. Can’t imagine how she or her family feel. She is in my thoughts and prayers.

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    Mute Mary O'dwyer
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    Sep 25th 2013, 4:50 PM

    Hope that this lovely kind woman is found safe and well

    6
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