Dublin publicans are seeking the resumption of trading until midnight as soon as possible, the Licensed Vintners' Association has said.
The organisation said it believes pub owners could adapt at short notice to any Government announcement. The LVA said pubs across the country would make every effort to offer later trading hours from this weekend, should the Government give permission for that to go ahead.
Publicans say they would also like to see a plan set out by the Government to allow the reopening of late bars and nightclubs and the removal of the other remaining restrictions. "Various public health experts and senior representatives of the Government are indicating that the country has entered a new stage of the pandemic, so we are hopeful there will be good news for the reopening of hospitality in the coming days," Donall O'Keeffe, chief executive of the LVA, said. "We would like to see the Government moving swiftly and allowing for the recovery of hospitality to begin as soon as possible," he added.
Mr O'Keeffe said the sector would hope to be in a position to trade normally well in advance of St Patrick’s Day, when the Government has said there may be a two-day bank holiday. "From a tourist perspective, so long as the current public health progress continues, we need to be able to say the hospitality sector is fully open and welcoming of visitors well in advance of St Patrick’s weekend," he added.