New guidelines for pubs serving food slammed as 'bureaucracy gone mad'

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) has stated the introduction of a new law, which states that restaurants and pubs serving food must now record all individual food orders and keep that data for 28 days, is “bureaucracy gone mad” and will add a huge burden to already struggling businesses.

Padraig Cribben, VFI Chief Executive, hit out: “This is crazy stuff.

"The idea that a pub must record all food ordered by each customer and then store it for 28 days is bureaucracy gone mad.

"Not only is it too impractical for our members to implement but why does the government think this law will help in the fight against Covid? It’s madness.

“We’re all for making customers feel safe in our pubs but this new measure only increases pressure on staff already coping with a host of new safety measures.

“This is part of a statutory instrument introduced by the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly without any consultation with the hospitality sector.

"It is obvious that both the minister and his department have little understanding of the practical implications of this new law.”

In response, The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly stated the temporary measures requiring restaurants and pubs serving food to retain records of all food orders for 28 days are aimed at pubs that are "flouting" the rules around serving food with orders of alcohol.

Speaking on RTÉ's News today, the minister said the measures have been introduced as a mechanism to enforce public health guidelines.

He said the only place it will be used is in pubs that do not serve food and are flouting the rules.

He stated it means these pubs can be asked to produce till receipts to show they are serving food if there is a doubt around whether they are.

Minister Donnelly explained the vast majority of pubs are complying with public health guidelines that stipulate a substantial meal must be ordered with alcohol, adding restaurants already print and keep receipts so there is no extra burden on them.

RTÉ health correspondent Fergal Bowers has shared the following information via his Twitter account.