Late change to indoor dining guidelines
Many pubs and restaurants reopened for indoor dining and drinking today (26 July), after guidelines were updated late last night to remove a requirement to take contact details from every person entering the premises.
Under the guidelines, only the lead person in any group must provide their name and contact number for contact tracing purposes.
Only those over the age of 18 who can provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19, or that they have recovered from the virus, will be admitted.
Designated tables
Those under 18 can also be served, if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Restaurants Association of Ireland Chief Executive Adrian Cummins told RTÉ that a requirement for designated tables had also been removed from the guidelines.
"This means businesses don't have to keep a record of what table a party sat at. We only heard about these updated guidelines through an email at ten past midnight this morning," he said.