Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae has said that publicans have been “belittled” by “the most anti-rural government”.

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday (Wednesday, December 2) about the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kerry TD said that Taoiseach Micheál Martin has “hurt many thousands of rural publicans, customers and people”.

This week, Ireland moved to Level 3 from Level 5. Restrictions under Level 3 include that wet pubs can operate delivery and take-away only. Pubs operating as restaurants are open from tomorrow (Friday, December 4).

Members of the Rural Independent Group raised their concerns in relation to restrictions on wet pubs.

“Publicans and customers will have no Christmas,” deputy Healy-Rae said.

“The Taoiseach has belittled rural publicans and rural people. He does not trust them.

“Where is the evidence and scientific proof that pubs in rural Ireland were the cause or would be the cause of transmitting the virus?”

‘Their businesses are lying in ruins’

Cork South-West TD Michael Collins said the publicans “have served the people well throughout the length and breadth of rural Ireland”.

“It is obvious to them that the Taoiseach is protecting the pubs in Dublin. He is afraid to open the pubs in Dublin but he is pointing the finger at every rural pub throughout Ireland.

Their businesses are lying in ruins; the banks are down on their backs; their mortgages have to be paid. They are earning not one crust and the government is standing idly by.

“The Taoiseach has led to their destruction in every town and village in rural Ireland – it will never be forgotten what the Taoiseach has done to these pubs.”

The Taoiseach said he “is not anti-rural, anti-village or anti-pub”.

‘The evidence is available’

“There is nothing I would like better right now than a pint in some rural pub in an idyllic village in the west of Ireland – I can assure the deputies of that,” Martin said.

“The evidence is available and we can look at it from August into September and right into October. Unfortunately, it is from the time when pubs were open. It is no fault on the publicans.

One only has to look at the index going up in terms of the number of cases in certain areas after events combined with the opening of the wet pubs in my city [Cork]. This is not only in rural Ireland.

“It is also in cities. In Galway and Cork, for example, there was a significant increase at a given period as well as in rural areas. The evidence, unfortunately, is there for that.”

Deputy Healy-Rae added: “This the most anti-rural government.”