It's part of a global €88 million package from Guinness' parent company.
Guinness have announced a €14 million support package for pubs across Ireland as they begin to open amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The months long closure due to the spread of the virus has meant thousands of pubs are currently left in a delicate financial position.
While the number of customers who can enter once they are reopen will be drastically reduced, and will only allow them to visit only up to 1 hour and 15 minutes at a time.
The new support scheme, which is part of a two-year €88 million ( $100 million) global package by parent company Diageo, is titled Raising The Bar and will allow pubs and bars to receive financial support as they reopen.
To avail of support from the ‘Raising the Bar’ fund, pubs must meet the following criteria:
- Must be registered as a legal entity (for tax purposes) or equivalent in each jurisdiction.
- Must have been operating for minimum period of 12 months before introduction of any national or local lockdown restrictions due to Covid-19, affecting its ability to operate in a business as usual manner.
- Must have a beer and/or spirits licence or equivalent.
- Must demonstrate at least one way in which they are or plan to ‘Raise the Bar’ in their community, including: promoting inclusion and diversity and job-creation in disadvantaged communities; promoting positive drinking and tackling harm or anti-social behaviour; focusing on sustainability or community support; and providing skills training, especially those from disadvantaged groups.
"Pubs and bars sit at the heart of every community".
Announcing the support package, Diageo chief Ivan Menezes called on governments around the world to help the sector survive.
"Pubs and bars sit at the heart of every community," he said.
"We are calling on governments around the world to provide long-term recovery packages to help hospitality.
"It plays an essential role in bringing people together to socialise and celebrate - something that we have all missed so much during this terrible crisis - and sustain hundreds of millions of jobs, often providing a first foot on the employment ladder for young people.”
Publicans across Ireland can register for financial support via the Raising The Bar programme here.
