NEW regulations for indoor dining in the Republic are due to be published this weekend amid confusion over what documents will be accepted as proof of a double Covid vaccination.
Indoor hospitality will resume on Monday - but only for those who have been double jabbed or recovered from coronavirus.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said on Wednesday night the taoiseach has assured her that northerners who are fully vaccinated will be able to eat in the Republic's restaurants.
However, bar and restaurant owners have expressed concerns that the regulations for both people living in the Republic and those travelling from the north have not yet been made clear.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said every effort is being made to ensure the new rules are published by the weekend.
He told RTÉ the regulations are not "unduly complicated".
"A lot of these procedures are already in place for other things. Now we're just extending it to one new check, which is to check that somebody has a certificate of immunity," he said.
"People can try to over complicate this, but it actually isn't all that complicated.
Mr Varadkar said it needs to be made clear what documents can be accepted as proof of immunity.
He said business owners, the Health and Safety Authority and environmental health officers will have a role in enforcing the rules.
Gardaí may be called if members of the public try to gain access without proof of immunity or if businesses do not obey the rules.
It is understood that under planned guidelines, there will be no limit on the length of time customers can remain in a premises.
Customers moving around indoors will have to wear face-masks, there will be no bar service, and up to six people will be allowed to eat at a table indoors.
A spokeswoman for the Irish Hotels Federation said it expects that northerners can dine indoors in the Republic from Monday.
"Our expectation is that all such customers, including from Northern Ireland, will be able to avail of indoor hospitality provided they can demonstrate that they are fully protected by vaccination or have recovered from COVID-19 in the previous six months," she said.
Sinn Féin's health spokesman David Cullinane said the safety measures were not stringent enough.
"I would have preferred if we were using testing, I would have preferred if we were putting in place all the other social distancing guidelines," he said.
He added: "You can jump on a plane now, if you're lucky to get your PCR cert, you can go to London or go to a European country, go into a restaurant, go into a bar and the come home".
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said some restaurants will not reopen due to the Irish government's handling of restrictions.
"Indoor dining regulations for next Monday will only being confirmed at the weekend – days before reopening," he said.
"What hope does the sector have of recovery when this is how the government has managed the sector so far?"
