Seanad debates

Tuesday, 9 November 2021

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Covid-19 Pandemic

2:30 pm

Photo of Marie SherlockMarie Sherlock (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. We had hoped the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media would be able to do so, but I understand her Department has provided a written reply.

With the vaccination rate at such a high level, it is clear there is a strong appetite among people to get on with living their lives as safely, but as fully, as possible. While many of us are looking at the increasing Covid numbers, or the trend over recent weeks, with a degree of trepidation, there are many who do so with the determination to ensure those working in hospitality, including musicians and staff in pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, will get an opportunity to eke out a livelihood again. The prospect of their having to remain out of work for any longer than they have had to cannot be countenanced.

In the past few weeks, new regulations were introduced to allow for the reopening of the night-time economy. The roller-coaster that the nightlife sector has been put on indicates a shambolic approach. Time and again, we have seen a failure to engage in contingency planning for the various Covid scenarios.I am not here, however, to go over what has happened but to ask about the review of the guidelines introduced on October 22. A commitment was given then to review the situation within three weeks. We wish to know if that review will commence this Friday, who is going to conduct it, what its scope will be and when its findings are expected to be published. I have talked to nightclub operators, DJs, promoters and bar owners and the key issue that keeps arising is when will they be included in the conversation about the safe operation of their sector. This is important because many of the regulations introduced on 22 October cannot be complied with and are unenforceable. What respect and trust are being shown to this sector? The operators are seeking this review because they want to be able to have some input into the process that will determine how their sector will continue to trade and to survive this winter.

It is important to acknowledge that we have had a trend over several years, in Dublin but also around the country, where we have seen the closure of pubs and nightclubs and we cannot afford to exacerbate that longer-term problem. The operators also want to have a level playing pitch. Again, we have seen coverage in recent days of the patchiness with which vaccination certificates are being requested at certain premises and also of where they are not being requested at all. Operators want to have an input into this process because they want to demonstrate that their sector is safe. Frustratingly, from what I have seen and from what I have been told by those I have spoken to in the sector, we had much media and PR coverage of the pilot opening of nightclubs conducted on 30 September. Antigen testing was used at that pilot event, but since then, however, we have heard nothing about what was learned from the pilot opening. Interestingly, suggestions about using antigen testing at nightclubs seem to have disappeared off the radar.

The other critical reason that we need to see the detail of this review is because community dance halls hosting social and big band dances believe their model of operation is going to be decimated because they are now being forced to sell tickets in advance to allow people to gain access. It totally goes against the grain of how they operate. To summarise, I would like to hear the concrete detail about how this review will be conducted, when we are going to see it published and who will be involved in that process.

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. In its decision of 19 October 2021, the Government agreed that the remaining areas of the hospitality, entertainment and night-time economy would reopen with the full range of protective measures in place and the wide and robust implementation of the Covid-19 pass. This represents an important next step towards the full reopening of our economy and society. As we move forward, however, it is more critical than ever to ensure that we are doing everything we can to minimise opportunities for the transmission of the virus.

The night-time and live entertainment sectors have been particularly hard hit during this pandemic. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, and her officials have been engaging with the various sectors to address some of the challenges faced during the past 20 months, in the run-up to the Government decision and also following it. The extensive stakeholder engagement has resulted in the production of an updated set of guidelines entitled, Updated Guidelines for Nightlife and Entertainment, to provide for the safe operation of the sector as Covid-19 is still circulating in our communities. Tourism and hospitality sectoral guidelines, aligned with the Work Safely protocol, have also been developed collaboratively to assist businesses to apply the guidance to their operations. The guidelines are informed by the latest Government public health advice and regulations carefully tailored to specific tourism and hospitality sectors. The operational guidelines aim to support business owners and management every step of the way as they work to stabilise and recover.The guidance, which is updated regularly, contains a range of advice on areas including ventilation, hygiene, management structures and face coverings. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, and in light of the epidemiological situation which has emerged over recent weeks, it is imperative that we carefully manage reopening. There will inevitably be nuances and differences in how we do things.

The Department of the Taoiseach hosted a meeting today with the hospitality and live events sector. That was attended by officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Health. It has been emphasised in advance of that meeting and continuously that their co-operation is critical if we are to avoid a further deterioration in the epidemiological situation. This was emphasised strongly again today, and it is clear that the sectors' representative groups are very conscious of their role in driving compliance and reinforcing the behaviours that will help to keep us all safe. Today's meeting provides a very important context for the three-week review that was signalled at the outset, and we will continue to engage with the sector bilaterally after the meeting as part of that review process. The review will, of course, be critically informed by the wider public health situation. In addition, official engagements will take place this week with the live entertainment sector. Subsequent to that, an update will be provided for consideration by Cabinet colleagues.

The Government's aim has been to allow as many businesses as possible to reopen in the safest possible way. This is why we need certain regulations in place as well as robust guidance to assist businesses to reopen safely and, importantly, to stay open. Central to these guidelines is a commitment to adhere to best practice in infection prevention control measures, which are necessary to protect individuals and society, and to support our continued progress towards a full return to operation of various sectors. Compliance with these measures should not be considered best practice but rather the minimum standard required to protect our communities. Individual businesses need to risk-assess proactively their premises to calibrate mitigating measures in a bespoke way for their business.

We know that countries across the world are working through the challenges of reopening society while the pandemic continues. These countries are all different and the way they develop their reopening plans will be different from ours. We have to try to balance a welcome reopening of businesses with the protection of public health.

I have run out of time. The rest of the reply is in the written statement circulated in the Chamber.

Photo of Marie SherlockMarie Sherlock (Labour)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. The question was what the scope of the review will be, who will conduct it and when we will see it. Unfortunately, we have not heard from the Department today an answer to any of those questions. We hear there will be bilateral engagement and that the Cabinet will be updated. To be frank, whoever wrote this script was trying to lecture those of us who take the nightlife sector very seriously. The sector takes its responsibilities very seriously in opening as safely as possible in the context of this pandemic. That does not need to be said. What it needs to be clear on, however, is that it will be involved in the review, that there will be an outcome to the review and that it will not be an interminable process with no detail. I ask the Minister of State to relay back to the Department that there is a failure to answer the questions we have sought in this regard.

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I will relay the Senator's comments back to the Department and see if it can give her any more information on that review. I will certainly pass on the Senator's comments to the Minister and the Department.

Photo of Róisín GarveyRóisín Garvey (Green Party)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in to take the Commencement matters. We appreciate her time.