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LAST UPDATE | 20 Oct 2021
TALKS ARE ONGOING today amid uncertainty over rules for the reopening of some sectors following yesterday’s announcement that there will be a halt on a full lifting of all remaining restrictions.
Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said today that she is “confident” a solution will be found within the next 24-hours to the issue of standing in music venues.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, she said that engagement is ongoing this afternoon and she is aware of the needs of those in the industry.
“I want fairness across the board,” she said when asked about the disparity in the rules around seating and table service in different venues.
The issue of clarity for sectors was raised in the Dáil today during Leaders’ Questions.
“When was the last time you were in a nightclub”, Labour’s Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach in the Dáil this afternoon.
While he said he was asking in jest, he wanted to make the point that confusion over the rules for pubs and nightclubs are “ridiculous”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, Dave Parle, who runs Hidden Agenda Promotions, said owners of live music venues were facing a “plethora of anomalies” as a result of guideline confusion.
Parle said that while he had club events organised for Friday, due to lack of clarity with the guidelines “we’re still figuring out some of the actual mechanics of actually operating a club show.”
“It is really, really last minute. That’s stressful for everyone in the industry,” he added.
Also speaking on Morning Ireland earlier today, Restaurants Association of Ireland President Mark McGowan and owner of Scholars Townhouse Hotel and Peggy Moores pub in Drogheda voiced his frustration at the lack of clarity given to businesses. “Again, it’s the 11th hour and we haven’t received our full guidelines yet.”
McGowan detailed that many restaurant owners are still unsure about guidelines as they begin to head into the busy Christmas period.
”We know that the table numbers have gone from a six to a 10, but that doesn’t really help in terms of multiple tables, we can already receive couch tours, believe it or not, so I can serve Christmas parties if everybody decides to say that they’re part of a coach tour.”
It was confirmed yesterday that nightclubs will be allowed to reopen as planned this Friday, 22 October – but new advice specifically for the sector is being developed, and has yet to be released.
The announcement was made yesterday by Taoiseach Micheál Martin following a Cabinet meeting to discuss the easing of restrictions.
In a government document released yesterday afternoon, it was confirmed that:
However, this sectoral guidance is yet to be released. The Taoiseach did confirm to reporters that “what traditionally happens at nightclubs will still happen at nightclubs” – though he didn’t specify exactly what that entailed.
When asked about the confusion today, the Taoiseach told the Dáil “what’s critical is that as we reopen further in the context of a deteriorating situation in relation to the prevalence of the disease and its penetration into hospitals, we do so in a cautious way, that’s the central message of yesterday”.
“And as I said yesterday, there would be sectoral guidance issued to different sectors,” he said.
“It’s simply not going to work. You can’t have a situation where a pub that changes into a nightclub changes rules in a matter of minutes,” said Kelly, stating that the regulations as is are not “natural”.
Earlier today, the Taoiseach denied that his comments on people needing a “sense of perspective” was a “slap in the face” to those in the industry.
When asked about the lack of clarity on nightclubs the Taoiseach had said there was a “need to get a sense of perspective a bit” as 464 people are in hospital, with 74 in intensive care.
When asked if he thought his comments insulting to nightclub operators, he said:
“I find it difficult to comprehend, genuinely, how saying that my concern to save lives and save public health is a slap in the face to anybody. It’s not. It certainly wasn’t a slap in the face to any sector: it’s a statement of fact.
“That is the central concern in terms of dealing with Covid-19. It remains the central concern, and I really would appreciate if that construction is prolonged by my remarks.
“But I do believe what I said and I think we have made very good progress as a country, in terms of reopening. And that’s evident in terms of how fast the economy has come back and how fast thousands of jobs have come back. And we want to maintain that, but it’s challenging in the context of the behaviour of the virus.”
The Department of Tourism yesterday confirm that it is working on guidelines for the sector.
In relation to live events, the government confirmed:
This would affect any standing-only events booked in by Irish promoters from 22 October.
"If somebody isn't asking you for the pass, they're not necessarily keeping you safe."
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) October 19, 2021
Tánaiste @LeoVaradkar appeals help to industry to enforce vaccine passes #rtept pic.twitter.com/xj3CrRTDn7
Speaking to RTÉ last night, the Taoiseach said: “I will say to the sectors, work with us over the next number of days, I understand the timelines are short, and we will work this out, just like we worked it out for hospitality during the summer.”
Martin said he accepts that the sectors “need clarity”.
“Please work with the Department of Tourism and we’ll work it out,” he said.
The Taoiseach confirmed yesterday that from Friday, Covid-19 Digital Certificates will continue be required for indoor activities, and there is advice that people with Covid-19 symptoms should stay at home.
When asked on RTÉ’s Prime Time last night what the government will do about businesses that are not asking customers for their Covid-19 Digital Certificates, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said there will be an increase of enforcement.
"If somebody isn't asking you for the pass, they're not necessarily keeping you safe."
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) October 19, 2021
Tánaiste @LeoVaradkar appeals help to industry to enforce vaccine passes #rtept pic.twitter.com/xj3CrRTDn7
“We’ve had 45,000 inspections since last May and we’ve more inspectors and we can step them up, but we do need a level of self enforcement as well,” Varadkar said.
“The message I’d send out to industry here is that we are in a precarious position again, we’re not out the gap, this isn’t over, please help us to enforce this measure because that’s how you will stay open,” he said.
“I’d also say to people, as well, if you’re going into a premises and somebody doesn’t ask you for your vaccine pass, ask them why not.”
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Why is there no video footage from the front line???
@John Fahy: there is actually a half decent Instagram page called “realnewsnobullshit” with front line footage uploaded daily.
@John Fahy: There is, but you can imagine there won’t be much of it. Some people aren’t stupid enough to stand out holding their phones up when bombs are dropping. They have more important things on their minds.
@John Fahy: Go on to reddit and you’ll see plenty on r/combatfootage but if you want Russian footage then download Telegram and find a group called ‘Intel Slava Z’. There’s so much footage out there and it’s easy to find. I don’t understand why people can’t grasp the concept that a war is happening.
@John Fahy: because war is brutal and footage from it can be quite distressing and disturbing to watch..its not like the movies..if you want to see footage you can easily find it on the likes of twitter and reddit among other sites..however most news agencies won’t be showing any footage for obvious reasons
@John Fahy:
They’re not letting many journalists near the front, not sure if it’s to keep moral high among the people or that there’s too high a risk of journos getting killed or a bit of both. I’m in Dnipro now and it’s very difficult to go anywhere east from here
@John Fahy: go on Telegram. Plenty of videos.
@Dave Walsh: is that not the job of journalists and news crews? I grew up during the Vietnam war and there was video footage on the news every day. Something is very suspicious here
@John Fahy:
The war here is very different to Vietnam for journalists, Russia are pounding and destroying everything in front of them with artillery with better range than the Ukrainians and moving forward, artillery is blind, particularly Russian artillery
@John Fahy: I believe that the Ukrainian Army asked people to stop sharing videos of their attacks on line as it exposed and revealed their positions. Since I read that somewhere (some time ago) I have noticed a significant reduction in videos – it may or may not be the reason – but it makes sense. Still I am surprised by the lack of footage myself.
@Calvin James: Technology exists today to put unmanned cameras in place that transmit footage to a remote location.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh:
This is also true, I got rumbled taking a photo of a mural and had to wait to get questioned by secret police, they informed me that a Turkish ship was docked and took footage of missiles being fired, he shared it and it made MSM in Turkey, Russia destroyed the facility an hour later. As I also explained earlier in the thread it’s an artillery war, you’d be an absolute idiot to be within 15km of the front line with the way the war is being fought
@John Fahy:
Such technology would give away Ukrainian positions
@John Fahy: you will find all you want on VK
@John Fahy: it’s called IPsec
@John Fahy: Goodman John, why don’t you do a bit of freelancing to satisfy your suspicions…
Of course, Ukraine’s future is part of the EU. Well the western part anyway as it’ll likely be absorbed into Poland. The southern and eastern will be unlikely to join as they’ll be part of Russia which probably won’t get EU status anytime soon.
@Seán: wrong Ukraine will get all of its territory back.
@shligo boyzz: You are living in an alternative world if you really believe that the m.upp.et zelensky will get the territory back,they’re part of russia now, and THEY are not going to give them up as easily as zelensky did.
@Darren Murphy: youre a m0ron if you think ukraine is giving up anything easily
@Rian Lynch: I can’t wait till all the pro Russian heads on this app are proved wrong.
@shligo boyzz: Like they took back Crimea? They’re retreating from the Donbass currently so exactly when are they going to start this massive counter-offensive? Winter is coming and that means gas bills, Western governments are going to start caring about their own citizens protesting the cost of living crisis and kicking them out of power and less about delivering arms and defeating Russia. That means the west suing for peace, putting an end to the Ukraine crisis and normalizing ties with Russia to some degree.
@Seán: the big counter offensive has started in the south with Kherson that’s more important than anything in the east atm I’m only a armchair general but Russia is weakening they focused 4 fronts into 1 in the east and all they can get is a tiny bit of land. And I’m in no way underestimating Russia they may be stupid but have a numerically advantage in man and equipment. It will be though but I think eventuality get back the pre feb 24th borders and god knows what will happen after that.
@Seán: who said Crimea is lost. There is already several ukrainian offenses on all though there seems to be no real effort going on to push on with them. Russia has run out of guided weapons and is using inaccurate weapons systems like artillery. They are still making very little progress with some Russian forces turning on their commanders in the dombass region. To say Russia has this won is well wide of the mark. They could win it but on current form it looks like Russian military forces in the east of Ukraine are being destroyed slowly. An analyst I listened to yesterday claimed that the Ukrainian forces are in a position to force Russian forces out of many areas but seem to be holding off. He’s unsure why but thinks the Ukrainians are trying to destroy Russia forces. These places the
@Allora: Russians are gaining are not valuable in relation to military strategic positions. They appear to be political assets. Severodonetsk is a city divided in 2 by a river. It appears the Russians are entering the city to be destroyed by the Ukrainians. Its another stalingrad for Russia.
@Darren Murphy: why are you calling zelensky a muppet? most rational people think he is one of the greatest leaders a country has ever seen. If you’re simply pro-russia and the war, then fair enough, i get it.
@Darren Murphy: Not sure how fighting for 100 days against a massive assault can be stated as “giving them up easily”
@Darren Murphy: No critic of Putin ? … how odd
The Ukrainians are doing fantastic work; holding the invaders back whilst grinding them into the ground to allow the Kherson offensive to get underway.
Russia is finished, thankfully.
@Stephen O’Neill: which Ukrainians are doing fantastic work…… the Nationalists or the Republicans…. if only Zelenskyy had kept his election promises…if only…… none of this would have happened.
@Fergus Quinlan: which election promises ?
@Fergus Quinlan: Which election promise?
Because he didnt make overtures to NATO until AFTER the Russian troop buildup along their border.
NATO military assistance has been ongoing since 2014. Well before Zelensky was elected.
The commies are awake I see
@Fergus Quinlan: Ah Fergus, the man that used an article on the slaughter of 21 kids in Uvalde to push his anti Ukraine/pro Russian agenda (that took some doing I’ll give ya that) ….. a true humanitarian
Every week Zelenski sounds more and more like Comical Ali. “We are beating them back”, “They are losing so many men they cannot continue”, “We are holding our ground and will not retreat”
have your say