TAOISEACH Micháel Martin has admitted to colleagues in the Dáil that he'd "love a pint" just days before Ireland's pubs reopen.
It came in the middle of the Order of Business where the Taoiseach came under fire from a number of Deputies.
When concerns were raised about the indoor dining return date (July 5) being met, Martin said: "I'd love a pint myself Ceann Comhairle, at some stage."
It's the second time in six months Martin has made the admission, after memorably stating back in December that "there’s nothing I'd like better, right now, than a pint in some rural pub," shortly after controversially announcing that the country was heading back in lockdown, stripping the nation of a family Christmas.
Nearly six months to the day since the Taoiseach's last public declaration of longing for pints. https://t.co/N3ELCboXoH
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) June 1, 2021
Ireland's pubs are set to open next Monday for first time his year, but only outdoor dining will be available for the next few weeks.
The hospitality sector has suffered immeasurably over the course of the pandemic, with the vast majority of pubs being forced into closures for the entirety of the crisis.
Stop and start lockdowns during the summer and before Christmas prevented the industry from taking advantage of what would usually be busy trading periods, and facilities that were able to open had strict limits on customer numbers.
On Wednesday, hotels and B&Bs opened in what was the first major reopening of the hospitality sector in 2021.
