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Restaurants to sue insurers

More than 420 restaurants, hotels, and bars are to proceed with legal action against 10 insurers over unpaid Covid-related business disruption claims in the coming weeks. cummins2021

The Restaurants Association of Ireland will look to progress the issue of unpaid disputed business interruption insurance, for its members, through the courts, having had minimal success in initial communications with the insurance firms.

Nearly a month ago, the RAI wrote to 12 insurers on behalf of 423 of its members, urging them to pay out on business interruption claims to cover trading losses brought about by the Covid-19 crisis.

The association originally gave insurers a seven-day window to reply and agree to make payments.

It said it would take legal action against any of the firms not willing to pay out on valid claims.

However, upon that deadline expiring, only one company, Hiscox Ireland, replied and agreed to pay cover and not challenge the claims.

Since then, QBE has also replied in a similar manner, meaning the threat of legal action over unpaid cover is currently hanging over 10 insurers.

Martin hints at Easter opening

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated for the first time that Level 5 restrictions on outdoor activity, sport, construction and remaining within 5km of home could be eased on Easter michealmartin0520

Monday, April 5th.

In what was received as a move to provide a tangible date, Mr Martin told the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on Wednesday night that those four areas would be examined before Easter, in tandem with the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).

The clarification on this issue means if the advice from Nphet on the metrics were favourable, the first steps to a wider reopening of society from lockdown would commence at the beginning of April rather than later in the month.

While the new Government plan unveiled on Monday did mention the April 5th date in the context of outdoor activities and the 5km rule, it gave no clarity on whether it was a date for change or for a review to commence.

Darina defends 'Ballymaloe Bubble'

Darina Allen has defended running cookery classes during lockdown for a group of international students at Ballymaloe Cookery School who have been in a 'Ballymaloe Bubble'. darinaallen

She spoke out last night after it emerged that nine students from the US, Holland, and the UK, have been attending in-person classes at the school in East Cork in recent weeks, despite level 5 restrictions.

“We felt we had a strong responsibility to them and that we did the right thing,” Ms Allen said.

The students, who had booked residential places on Ballymaloe’s almost €13,000, 12-week Certificate Course, which was due to start on January 4, flew into Ireland in late December for two weeks of quarantine.

But they were left in limbo when Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced a full level 5 lockdown on December 30, which came into effect the following day.

10,500 pass through Dublin Airport

Around 10,500 people arrived in Ireland through Dublin Airport last week, the Health Minister has said. sdonnelly0720

Speaking in the Dáil, Stephen Donnelly said that between 1,000 and 3,500 people were still arriving in the country every day.

Last week there were around 10,500 arrivals in Dublin Airport alone, he said during a debate on the Government’s legislation on mandatory quarantine for international arrivals.

The Bill will introduce enforced hotel quarantine for people arriving from a list of 20 “red list” countries in a bid to prevent new variants of the coronavirus from arriving in Ireland.

Minister Donnelly told the Dáil: “Our travel volumes are significantly depressed compared to the same period last year.

Airlines could burn $95 bn

Global airline industry body IATA has warned t that the outlook for airlines has weakened since its December forecasts. airline

Due to tightening travel restrictions it said it now expected the sector to still be bleeding cash by the fourth quarter of this year.

IATA raised its forecast for total airline cash burn for 2021 to between $75 billion and $95 billion, up from the $48 billion it had forecast in December.

While many countries have started rolling out vaccines to tackle the coronavirus, the emergence of more infectious variants in countries such as Britain, Brazil and South Africa has forced many governments to ban all but essential travel.

This summer is make-or-break for many airlines and holiday companies which are struggling to survive with close to a year of almost no revenue due to pandemic restrictions.