​The Government will seek to have the Dáil rush through authorisation for billions of euro in additional funding for social welfare payments next week amid concerns that the Department of Social Protection will effectively run out of money in early June.

The move has been made more complex as the Opposition will seek to press Ministers to guarantee there will be no cuts to the current €350 weekly Covid-19 unemployment payment before the crucial vote on spending takes place.

The owner of High Street restaurant chains Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia has filed intent to appoint administrators at the UK High Court.

Owner Casual Dining Group, whose brands also include the Las Iguanas chain, employs about 6,000 people.  The company said the move would give it ten days' breathing space to consider "all options" for restructuring.

​Bord Bia, in association with Technomic market researchers, are compiling a White Paper on the Irish Foodservice Market, for publication and presentation via a webinar on Thursday, 28th May from 2-3PM.

While acknowledging the clear and ongoing damage that Covid-19 is having on foodservice, it is important to begin thinking about how the industry will ultimately open up. 

​Ryanair has reported a profit after tax of €1 billion for the year to March 31, but said it was unable to provide a forecast for the current year due to Covid-19 and cut its annual passenger traffic target by a further 20%. 

The airline said it expects to fly "somewhere under" 80 million passengers in the coming year.  This is down from a target of 100 million given last week and from an original target of 154 million.

​COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. Everything has been impacted. How we live and interact with each other, how we work and communicate, how we move around and travel. Every aspect of our lives has been affected.

Although the world is in lockdown, governments, epidemiologists, school principals, entrepreneurs and families around the world are already planning the next steps: how to safely reopen schools and businesses, how to commute and travel without transmitting or contracting infection, how to support those most affected by the crisis – the millions who have lost their livelihoods or their loved ones, how to ensure the already serious inequalities don’t deteriorate further.

Decisions made now and in the coming months will be some of the most important made in generations. They will affect people all around the world for years to come. It is imperative that governments making those decisions have access to the best information available.

​Fast food chain McDonald’s is to begin a phased reopening of restaurants in Ireland from next week, starting with a drive-through only service at six outlets in the Dublin area.

McDonald’s UK and Ireland chief executive Paul Pomroy said updated Government guidelines make it clear that takeaways and deliveries can operate, and that as such the six restaurants will open from May 20th.

​The Irish Aviation Authority has reported a 85% fall in the number of flights handled in April compared to the same time last year as Covid-19 grounded most airline fleets around the world.

The IAA said that Dublin airport recorded 2,067 flights, an 89.8%% decrease on the same time last year.

Cork airport traffic saw just 225 movements, down 93.9% on the same time last year, while Shannon airport reported 364 flights, a 79.8% decrease on April 2019.

Revenue.ie have released V11 of the guidance on employer eligibility for Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme FAQ this week.

This document provides guidance on the Operational phase of the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme, which commenced on 4 May 2020. 

IFSA Members are invited to join Chef Network & Musgrave MarketPlace for a FREE live webinar and panel discussion on Tuesday, 19th May from 2pm – 3pm where we’ll explore the take-out, cook at home and retail models pioneered by Irish restaurants.
 
The following will be discussed:

• The experiences of 4 businesses who pioneered different models of takeaway and retail during the COVID19 crisis.
• Practical considerations, including social distancing in kitchens, ordering and payment systems.
• Key learnings from our panel.
• Financial Viability and whether these new models will become part of the industry on an on-going basis.