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'Heroes' Fund tops €550,000

The group set up to raise money to help feed the frontline workers battling the coronavirus has received more than €550,000 in donations. heroes0320

'Feed the Heroes' announced the milestone as it said more than 18,500 meals have been delivered nationwide.

“We have been completely blown away by the response of the Irish people,” said Cian O’Flaherty, who founded the group as the first cases of the virus arrived on these shores.

He revealed how the generosity of Irish people has seen the amount raised vastly exceed the goal of the initiative when he, and Tad McAllister, set it up on March 15.

Revenue responds to Tourism queries

Fáilte Ireland has liaised directly with Revenue to get clarity on the questions raised by the tourism industry in relation to the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.

The Tourism Authority hasnow created a COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme FAQ document providing answers to these questions which can be found in the Government Supports section of its support hub .

The questions were collated directly from various industry sectors and all answers have been provided by Revenue to Fáilte Ireland.

Choice stay offer for health workers

The Choice hotel group offer of 1,800 free stays to healthcare workers has received "overwhelming" response which saw the allotment snapped up within hours.

The Choice Hotel Group's properties in Ireland include the g, the House and the Hardiman hotels in Galway, the Shoreline Hotel in Donabate, Co Dublin, and Hotel Woodstock in Ennis, Co. Clare.

The offer, launched across its social media platforms , rewarded the first 1,800 subscribers with a free night's B&B at a hotel of their choice between August 1 of this year and July 31, 2021.

A booking link will now be sent to successful subscribers, it says.

Gastronomy Symposium Cancelled

The 2020 Dublin Gastronomy Symposium has been cancelled due to the Covid 19 crisis. macconiomaire

DGS is however awarding Fellowships to

Professor Martin Caraher, Emerita Professor of Food and Health Policy, City University London. and

Professor Patricia Lysaght, Emerita Professor of European Ethnology in University College Dublin

In a letter to participants Dr. Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire says that all those .who has already registered on Eventbrite will be fully refunded.

Government action is required to protect the interests of restaurateurs whose landlords are trying to force them to pay their rent in full even while closed during the Covid-19 crisis, according to the RAI

The Association says that “more than two-thirds” of leased premises that it surveyed in a straw poll were unable to get any flexibility from their landlords. It wants the State to step in with rental supports, as many restaurants gear up to pay their quarterly rent this week.

'Rents are the new challenge', said Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the RAI. 'Measures to protect restaurateurs from commercial landlords need to be put in place.'