DublinTown businesses raise concerns over potential Covid restrictions

A GROUP representing businesses in Dublin has called on the Government to clarify a number of issues around the proposals being considered to deal with the spread of Covid-19 in the city.

DublinTown say they are calling on the authorities to provide evidence of how Covid is being transmitted in hospitality businesses that are expected to be curtailed beyond the Level 3 measures contained in the Government’s revised framework for Living with Covid.

“If adopted by Government, the advice would see establishments being prohibited from accommodating patrons inside their premises. What evidence is there of virus transmission within these premises?”, the group said in a statement.

“Restaurants, cafes and bars form a hugely significant and growing proportion of the city’s consumer facing eco-system.

“Pre-Covid more people dined than shopped in the city.

“Hospitality businesses employed 10,000 people in the DublinTown area alone in 2019.

“However, these businesses which were closed for three months and re-opened to a turnover which trended at between 25% and 40% of 2019 levels.

“The demise of the city centre would have implications for tourism, (three in five visitors to Ireland, will visit Dublin city centre) and Foreign Direct Investment which relies on a vibrant and thriving city centre to attract quality employers and employees.”