Pat Casey (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Regrettably, it is a bit like Groundhog Day, as the reopening of indoor dining on 5 July looks like another false dawn for the sector. I point out that indoor dining is already happening but it is happening exclusively for residents of hotels. I am one of the few privileged to be able to use that facility but even last night I was inside and there were people sitting outside. My locals were outside and my residents were inside. It is about the inequality.

The undisputed fact is that the requirements, regulations and operating procedures that allowed hotel restaurants to open up are the very same requirements as apply to indoor dining in restaurants and bars. There is absolutely no difference yet they will remain closed and it looks like they will remain closed for another four weeks. We had infectious diseases consultant Professor Paddy Malone stating that he just could not see how two weeks' delay is going to make any substantial difference to that. This morning on "Morning Ireland", Professor Cathal Walsh, from the NPHET modelling team, said projections showed there could be 1,000 cases per day in certain scenarios. He said the modelling suggested this could reduce to 900 per day if indoor dining does not open. Thus, the indoor dining is only accounting for 10% of the potential cases of the new Delta variant.

Politically, we are all taking credit for the great vaccine roll-out but where is the benefit in being vaccinated? Our adult population is now 40% fully vaccinated and these people are safe to eat indoors. The people of Ireland have acted very responsibly over the last 18 months with all the hardship that has been put on them. Can we not just give them that personal choice to decide they are going to eat indoors? We should allow them to make that personal decision. There are the numbers in hospital, in ICU, the number of cases and the variants. The yo-yo effect has to stop. We are already hearing about the Delta plus variant coming from India. Are we going to be back in here in another three weeks telling the industry it is not going to open again? The impact this is having is not just financial anymore. The impact it is having on the health and well-being of the staff and the business owners cannot be underestimated. I apologise to the Cathaoirleach for going over time.