News

RAI wants planning change

Restaurants must be given a dispensation from planning regulations to allow them operate as takeaway services during the coronavirus crisis, the Restaurants Association of Ireland has said. cummins

Under planning law, a traditional sit-in restaurant must get planning permission to change to being a takeaway. Several local authorities apply additional stringent requirements on the location of takeaways and their hours of operation, over and above national regulations.

However, RAI ceo Adrian Cummins says that regulations need to be changed to allow restaurants to continue trading and providing a service in the current circumstances.

Chefs offer free meals to vulnerable

Donegal chefs Tim Twomey and Jo Roarty of the Quay West Restaurant in Donegal Town came up with the idea of 'Chef Aid Donegal' and have been overwhelmed with support.

With two other chefs in the town, whose restaurants were also closed, they have set up a kitchen in a former restaurant to prepare free meals every day to deliver to elderly and other compromised people in the area.

Other restaurants, caterers and chefs throughout the country have also been coking free meals for the vulnerable, including Masterchefs in Limerick and Jaipur in Greystones.

One restaurant in Midleston urged customers to buy vouchers from their competitors because the said that they are 'doing ok' with take-out meals.

The Donegal chefs said they want to take the fear out of isolation for people and let them know that someone has their back and that they have food security.

Mallow hotel blaze

Firefighters in Cork dealt with a blaze at a derelict hotel in Mallow yesterday evening.

Crews from Cork City and Ballyvolane were called out to aid the local fire brigade at around 5pm.

Gardaí said there are no reports of any injuries.

Local Labour councillor James Kennedy said the Central Hotel has been left to go to ruin for two decades.

Hoteliers 'Deeply Concerned' over Rates

The Irish Hotels Federation has expressed deep alarm at the Government’s response to Covid-19 in relation to local authority rates. Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, IHF President elaina0320 described proposals to defer rates payments as wholly inadequate and a futile exercise that will do little to get the 260,000 people in Irish Tourism back to work as part of rebuilding Ireland. “Securing jobs is our priority now and it is disappointing that the Government does not realise the reality of what is needed,” she said.

The IHF is calling for rates to be waived until this crisis is over saying that decisive, meaningful action is required that recognises and properly addresses the enormous financial challenges facing the tourism and hospitality sector. “Deferring payment fails to tackle the underlying problem. It needs to be waived. Let’s be very clear, our quest is to get 260,000 people back to work and if this meaningless intervention is to the only initiative brought to the table, businesses throughout Ireland will suffer. Every day without a waiver leads to further job losses,” she warned.

Simon wants hotel beds for homeless

The Simon Community is calling on hotels and Airbnb hosts to offer their spaces to local authorities for homeless people that may have to self-isolate. simon0320

The charity says some emergency accommodation has communal areas, which will not be safe when the surge in cases of Covid-19 comes in the next couple of weeks

Wayne Stanley, head of policy with the Simon Community, says there is space to be used in the state now.

"Some of our accommodation people might have their own room and may even have an en-suite but still, cooking facilities, eating their meals, it's all shared," he said.