Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is where the real issue is. An awful lot of restaurants that were not in a position to have an alcohol licence closed during level 5 restrictions and found it extremely difficult to be viable if they reopened. That is the real challenge that we had to listen to as public representatives. Many of these restaurants were sole restaurateurs and not gastropubs, which could afford to do without the grants. It was very difficult for us to explain that situation to people. One has to come from the business point of view in terms of looking at criteria and trying to meet them.