ONE of Northern Ireland's top chefs has accused Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill of having "some sort of umbrage against alcohol" after she suggested restaurants could be allowed to reopen on a 'dry' basis only.
She said the Executive is considering "ways that we can open things up perhaps without alcohol" in order to avoid another lockdown before Christmas, saying "people's defences come down when there is alcohol taken".
Restaurateur Michael Deane warned his businesses will "clearly not open" under such restrictions.
"She has some sort of umbrage against alcohol. I don't know what sort of places she actually goes to get a drink. I'm really appalled at this," he told the BBC.
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He said takings were already down "about 50 per cent" under the previous restrictions for social distancing and early closures.
"We have at the moment to date lost close to £2 million," he said.
"It cost us £20,000 to reopen and this is not viable for us going forward."
He said the hospitality industry has "asked to see the data, where this is spreading in restaurants", saying the information "is not there to back it up".
He called on the Executive to "just tell us to close until this is all over, fund the hospitality business".
Regional Nephrology and Transplant Unit consultant Dr Damian Fogarty said he is "with the restaurants" who have "provided more hygiene and good examples than I think anywhere else and he "can see no published examples of spread in restaurants".
