Yesterday, Ireland published its guidelines for the hospitality sector. For the most part, they are a welcome tool for businesses as they prepare to reopen. However, these guidelines include a 105-minute time limit on tables in restaurants and bars. That is despite the Tánaiste and other Government representatives repeatedly saying that, this time around, there would be no time limits. How is it fair that people can dine and drink in a hotel without any time limits whatsoever, but if they are in a restaurant or bar right next door, a time limit is imposed? It is both illogical and unfair. I ask the Tánaiste, in the Government’s announcements tomorrow, to commit to what he repeatedly said would happen, and that is to lift the time limits this time around for whenever restaurants and bars are allowed to reopen.

I should point out that the time limit of 105 minutes, or just under two hours, applies only indoors and only when the tables are not more than 2 m apart, so if the tables are more than 2 m apart, there is no such time limit. The reason for it is that if people spend more than two hours in each other's presence in the same room, they are considered to be close contacts, and it is to avoid an entire dining room or an entire restaurant being deemed close contacts.

The guidelines that came out the other day are more liberal than what we had in December or in August and September. They are not the final word on this and they can be reviewed again in a few weeks' time. The Deputy should bear in mind that hotel restaurants, at least indoors, are only open to residents and they are not open to people coming in from outside. They may need to be aligned if we allow that.