Legislation on reopening of indoor hospitality passed by Dáil

The bill was voted through by 74 votes to 68.

Legislation that will allow for indoor hospitality to return has been passed in the Dáil. The Health (Amendment No.2) Bill 2021 was voted through on Wednesday night by 74 votes to 68. The bill will allow bars and restaurants to offer indoor service to people fully vaccinated against Covid-19, as well as those who have recovered from the virus in the past six months. There was only one member of the Regional Group of TDs who voted with the government, as the remainder of the opposition voted against the bill. The vote was first conducted electronically. However, because of the small margin of victory, Sinn Féin's David Cullinane requested a physical vote. A manual roll-call then confirmed the 74 to 68 result. The bill will now be sent for consideration in the Seanad. The government wants the legislation to be passed by the Seanad this week so that it can come into force next week following being signed by the President. The legislation comes after weeks of talks between the hospitality sector and government officials about ways to safely reopen the industry indoors. Earlier on Wednesday, 783 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ireland, the highest number since 20 February. Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said during a briefing that unvaccinated staff working in indoor dining under the Covid pass system represents a low risk for Covid-19 transmission.