A two-week “reprieve” to allow pubs and restaurants to open before Christmas is seen as desirable by several members of the Government. “We will do everything we can for businesses, because this is a hugely important time of year for them, both retail and hospitality. So, level 3 would be the compromise but with a two-week reprieve which would be fair,” said a minister. All of the ministers spoken to say there is a desire to allow people to travel to their families for Christmas. Crucially, the intention is to get all retail open and leave it open to get Christmas shopping going.

Source: Irish Examiner November 16, 2020 06:37 UTC