Calls for Dublin bar to be closed after video shows no social distancing
There have been calls for a Garda investigation and greater powers to clamp down on venues that flout the Covid-19 health regulations after footage emerged of an event in a Dublin venue over the weekend.
Footage emerged yesterday of a party taking place at Berlin D2 on Dame Lane with no social distancing apparently being enforced.
A man can also be seen in the video standing on a height pouring drink from a bottle into several people's mouths.
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said the footage was "shameful".
He described it as "a right kick in the gut and middle finger to everyone in our country who has worked so hard and sacrificed so much, to everyone who has lost a loved one or been sick with Covid-19, to every frontline worker and to every responsible business owner who have suffered so much."
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the video is 'sickening'.
"The vast majority of Irish people have sacrificed a huge amount to help suppress this virus. They’ve shown huge solidarity," he said.
"People are rightly sickened by these scenes. The reckless actions of a small few can have huge repercussions on everyone else."
Adrian Cummins of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said: "Scenes like this are deplorable and despicable They are a slap on the face to every front line worker in our country who put their lives on the line during this pandemic."
Chief Executive of the Licensed Vintners Association, Donall O'Keeffe, said it is very damaging to the hospitality sector.
"I'm absolutely fuming. It's disgraceful behaviour," he said.
"It's simply not acceptable and it reinforces the need for Garda inspections of all hospitality businesses because this type of behaviour in a public health crisis is simply not acceptable."
In additional comments to RTÉ News, Mr O'Keeffe said: "It is simply unacceptable that any hospitality business would take risks with the health of their staff and their customers."
An Garda Síochána said they do not comment on individual incidents involving suspected breaches of the Public Health Regulations.
"Social distancing and other similar public health guidelines are not penal provisions. An Garda Síochána continues to enforce existing legislation where appropriate to do so," a spokesperson said.
"Where potential breaches of the Public Health Regulations are identified, and where a person/ business does not come into compliance with the regulations, a file is submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a direction as to how to proceed."
Former TD Noel Rock described the footage from Berlin D2 as "an utter shambles" and called for the venue to be shut down.
It comes as the LVA and Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI) launched the 'Support Not Sympathy' campaign to highlight that more than 3,500 of the country’s pubs have been closed for five months. They also called for the Government to provide a strong support package for pubs.
Meanwhile, 200 coronavirus cases were recorded here yesterday, the largest increase since May.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer said there are now multiple clusters with a secondary spread in many parts of the country.
The Government appealed to people to redouble their efforts to tackle the spread of the disease.