€9 substantial meal for outdoor dining has been scrapped - Tanáiste

The Tánaiste has said there won't be time limits on tables for outdoor dining and drinking once it returns in June. 

The €9 substantial meal has also been scrapped as has the limit on the number of people on a premises. 

Restaurants and pubs are still waiting on the formal advice from Fáilte Ireland. 

Business Minister and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar explains how it will work.

"To give you a rough idea, it's going to be seated only. A metre and a half between tables, no more than 6 at a table.

"They can come from any number of households. There's no more rule of 15 - if you have the space you have the space.

"There won't be a requirement to buy a substantial meal, and we don't anticipate that there will be a limit on the amount of time you can stay."

Varadkar meanwhile has said he hopes to get to the point where people won't need to have COVID tests before flying internationally. 

A memo is due to go to cabinet next Tuesday outlining plans for the return of foreign holidays at some point over the summer. 

Leo Varadkar has said he believes it will be August at the earliest. 

He's also signaled there may be changes for the testing rules around flying.

"I would hope that because we're making so much progress with the vaccine that we won't need tests at all - perhaps we'll get to the point where we'll say that fully vaccinated is enough and not require people to have any form of test.

"That's what I'd like, but as I say we'll have to figure that out between now and next week when the government agrees its proposals on international travel."