The battle began last week when, claiming to be cut adrift by insurance companies over claims for business interruption, publicans went on a legal and lobbying offensive. Now, the dispute has moved to Irish restaurants, who are now demanding compensation as a result of the Covid-19 shutdowns. The president and chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), which represents 2,500 restaurants across the country, is engaging with legal counsel as the group’s members prepare to take action against big insurance companies which are refusing to pay out for business disruption caused by Covid-19. The RAI, which is led…