A popular city-centre salon has revealed it has a waiting list of nearly 400 people booked in to get their hair done once they reopen.
Hairdressers and salons are set to reopen on July 20, during Phase 4 of the ease of lockdown restrictions.
The Hairdressers Federation of Ireland has been lobbying to reopen sooner on June 29 during Phase 3 of the ease of restrictions.
Managing director of Platinum Hair Extensions Onagh O’Driscoll says that she has a waiting list of nearly 400 people:
"A couple of weeks ago when Covid started initially we had to reschedule about 100 clients so we automatically had those people on a waiting list for when we did reopen.
"And then it got to the stage that we were getting 500 messages a day from people trying to book in so we put together a waiting list and people had to pay €50 deposit to secure their place on the list.
"It was first come first serve, we got 398 people on the list and that was before the government made the announcement it’d be July 20th before we reopen."
She added, "It’s a good idea for salons to take deposits to prevent the black market industry, it is a worry for all salon owners.
“We’re after taking in about €20,000 in deposits and it’s great that we can generate the cash flow."
The Hairdressers Association of Ireland has also launched a
petition to the government calling for a number of economic supports after the Covid-19 pandemic, including "Financial grant payments in order to ensure liquidity of organisations, reinstatement of Statutory Redundancy Rebate, reduction in the VAT rate to 9%, reduction in Employers PRSI contribution, review of the apprenticeship payment model to include a training allowance, freeze on commercial rents and rates, one-month vulnerable industries wage support grant - paid to employers who rehire laid-off employees."
In a letter to An Taoiseach, they said:
"Thousands of salons across Ireland have already been forced to close their doors in order to meet the HSE requirements on social distancing. The hair and beauty industry employs 25,800."
They added, "These businesses are the backbone of Ireland’s towns and villages, providing essential services, and employment. They deserve your full support."
