Grey area in licensing laws may allow pubs to serve pints during Covid-19 claims report

Pubs may be able to operate during the Covid-19 lockdown, subject to certain restrictions, it has emerged.

This is due to a “lack of clarity” in the liquor licensing laws according to a report in the weekend edition of The Irish Times.

The paper claims that Garda HQ has sought legal advice on pubs delivering drinks and selling takeaway beverages from their premises and has been told that both practices do not contravene liquor licensing laws.

The report stated that “as long as drinks, including poured pints, are paid for on licensed premises they can be delivered to customers.”

And it added that takeaway sales are also permitted once those buying drinks in that manner consume them more than 100 metres away from a pub and not in a public place.

In effect, it means that pubs can operate delivery and off-sales as an “essential service” during the lockdown, like supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware stores and some other businesses.

It has emerged that after the legal advice received in recent days, deliveries will be possible once the drinks are paid for in advance to a person on a pub’s premises.

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