Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he acknowledge the delayed reopening of pubs will be a hammer blow to the sector but pressing the pause button on the next phase or reopening is the right thing to do.
In what was a sobering assessment delivered after the Cabinet meeting last night, the Taoiseach said concern around the rise in cases is very real and the advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team to delay the next phase of re-opening was very strong.
He said if the current trajectory continued then it would put plans to re-open schools at the end of August in jeopardy. Mr Martin said he acknowledged the delayed reopening of pubs until 10 August was a hammer blow to publicans and those working in the sector.