HU STATEMENT FOLLOWING PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCEMENT

05 July 2021

Reacting to the announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP that all legal restrictions in England will be lifted on 19 July, Joel Neill, Operations Director, Hospitality Ulster said:

“It is extremely disheartening for the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland to watch on as colleagues in England are given this good news this evening while we wait in limbo for the Executive to give us a clear direction on what is next for our industry. A timeline and the accompanying actions for accelerated reopening must be implemented immediately.”

“Our industry is being stifled by current restrictions, which are limiting opportunities to recover and grow from the terrible losses of the past 16 months. Restrictions here, beyond England’s Freedom Day on 19 July, will likely and unfortunately, see table service only maintained, social distancing still in place and table numbers capped. This is no longer acceptable and the NI Executive really needs to move forward and get the entire sector opened and functioning without restriction. The current situation is having a severe impact on the industry, particularly non-food pubs. We need to push forward the pathway to recovery as many jobs and livelihoods depend on action.”