I speak today on behalf of the pubs and restaurants that will not open next week. I call for consideration of their plight when the Cabinet meets tomorrow to discuss the further reopening of the economy and consider how these businesses feel when they see other indoor venues opening for dining and drinking next week when they are not able to open. I am calling for fairness and consistency in how we treat all pubs and restaurants.

I also call for an early signal that there will be continuation of the supports in place for pubs and restaurants long into the future until they can stand on their own feet again, given what they have endured over the last 15 months. I also ask that the reopening grant be made available to all pubs. I also ask that the Government call time on the 105-minute limit as it will only encourage pub crawls and grub crawls. It will be counterproductive and it is something we need to do away with.

Okay, Deputy I am calling time on this question.

I should say again for the record that the 105-minute rule only applies indoors and only applies where tables are less than 2 m apart. It will be a decision, and I appreciate an expensive decision, for restaurants and pubs as to how they configure their tables. The guidelines are not the final word on this and will be reviewed in a few weeks' time if the epidemiological position continues to improve.

The reopening grant will be there for everyone who reopens, pub or restaurant. The Government's intention is that once reopening occurs, they will get the grant. I agree and we appreciate that the Covid-19 restrictions support scheme, the weekly payment for businesses that are closed, will have to stay in place for businesses that are only able to operate outside, at least until they are allowed to operate inside again, and that the wage subsidies will need to stay in place for quite some time.