No guarantee pubs will reopen on August 10

Pub owners around the country are facing an uncertain future following the government decision to delay the reopening of pubs from Monday until at least August 10th.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar faced heated questioning in the Dáil on the move to delay Phase 4 of the country’s reopening from the Covid-19 lockdown.

The decision came as the State has seen an increase in the number of those infected with the virus and a rising reproductive rate - a key metric used to track the rate of infection - indicating spread within the community.

Varadkar, who is also Minister for Enterprise, warned that pubs, nightclubs and other venues will open “no sooner than August 10th. We are not saying they will open on August 10th”.

The Tánaiste stressed the reopening would depend on the number of cases and “on how the virus behaves,” acknowledging it was a “hammerblow” to publicans and that he too had been looking forward to “freedom pints” next week.