Podcasts

Should 'wet' pubs be reopened or is it too soon?

Publicans throughout the country that have been shut down since last March will remain closed for weeks to come, as the reopening date is pushed back once again.  All eyes had been on Monday August the 31st, when the remainder of Ireland’s wet pubs were tentatively scheduled to re-open, however that has yet again been put back.  On top of this Gardai are to be given more powers to crack down on house parties and the Vintners have called this morning on Newstalk Breakfast for Off License's to be closed for a period. So is it time to temporarily close the Off Licenses to curtail house parties and should Gardai be given extra powers to shutdown gatherings in houses that exceed the guidelines, and it it now time to let all the pubs re open as has happened in most countries throughout Europe? What does all of this mean to you, have you had enough of the pubs being closed? Many pubs provide vital social hubs and outlets for elderly, isolated and lonely people, so what sort of an impact will the ongoing closures have on communities and, indeed, on the mental health of people who rely on their visit to the local pub as their only outlet for human interaction? How long will the ongoing closure of pubs continue for and have the closures gone on way too long?   Sinead got your thoughts on air. see more