Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane TD has tonight commented on the proposal to stop indoor dining in pubs and restaurants in Dublin.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“The increased incidence rate of Covid-19 – particularly in Dublin – is very worrying and has been for some time. Despite this, the government refused to act in a timely manner on public health advice to try and take control of the situation in the capital.

“This, we were told, was because the government was preparing a new five level plan; with clearly set out restrictions at each level.

“This plan was published on Tuesday, yet tonight it is being reported that a recommendation will go to government tomorrow for Dublin to be placed at level 3, but with further restrictions to stop indoor service in pubs and restaurants. This is not in line with the government’s own plan, it makes no sense and will only lead to further public confusion.

“Pubs and restaurants are not the problem. They are controlled environments, and the latest figures identifying clusters show that there were just three clusters associated with pubs and restaurants across the State last week.

“It is clear that pubs and restaurants are not a major contributing factor to the spread of the virus and could, in fact, have a very negative impact by not providing social outlets for people, who may continue to gather in private settings; which are contributing massively to the spread of the virus at present.”