A crackdown could be coming.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland has called for hospitality businesses such as pubs and restaurants to be shut down if they do not comply with Covid-19 safety measures.

Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the RAI, spoke to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday and said that non-compliant businesses should pay the ultimate price for ignoring government guidelines.

“We want to know who they are, where they are and when they will be shut down. Inspectors must go in and shut them down. They are putting other businesses at risk.”

According to a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute, 70% of businesses are compliant while 7% are not, with a further 23% classified as not fully compliant. A meeting is scheduled to take place later today between the Taoiseach and representatives from the hospitality industry.

The call comes as Ireland faces a surge of cases, which are at their highest level since January of this year. 3,161 new cases were announced yesterday, 78 of which are in intensive care.