Health Minister Simon Harris also pleaded with people to “keep your distance”.

Emergency draconian laws designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus could save tens of thousands of lives, Tánaiste Simon Coveney has told the Dail.

The Tánaiste has criticised the British government's announcement that they would be ending certain investigations into British soldiers.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has called on the public to trust the government and the HSE and to ignore rumours on social media.

Fianna Fáil must secure a “radical” programme for government in any deal with Fine Gael that not only fights the coronavirus but offers new ways of tackling housing and health, a senior party figure says.

It comes after Italian premier Giuseppe Conte extended restrictions on travel from the north to the entire country to try to stop the spread of coronavirus.

The Green Party has insisted that providing for added public transport should take priority over the delivery of major new motorways including the M20 between Cork and Limerick in talks with Fine Gael.

Some political parties had made promises that “don’t reflect reality”, Simon Conveney said.

By the time the starter calls the field to order for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, just before 3.30pm on Friday, March 13, we may well have downgraded that old conundrum — how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? — to a first-round four-marker.

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has topped the poll in Cork South Central and has been deemed elected ahead of the Tanaiste and the leader of Fianna Fáil.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said that his overall feeling today with regard to Brexit is “one of sadness.”

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has confirmed a number of Irish citizens have requested to leave Wuhan in China, where the deadly coronavirus is believed to have originated.

Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone's description of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as autistic was "offensive, ignorant and wrong," Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said.

The Irish and UK Governments have published an outline deal to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland, and urged the parties to sign up to it.

Efforts to break the deadlock over power-sharing in the North are expected to resume today.

Ms Harney is the current chancellor of UL and her term runs to 2022.

"The story of Cork North-Central is the collapse of the hard left," said Tánaiste Simon Coveney.

The public is facing worse services and higher rates as seven local authorities are set to lose €18.4 million in their funding, The Dáil has heard.

The Tánaiste has defended Verona Murphy and said that he would not call for her deselection.

Permits for drink driving in rural areas should be agreed to ease rural isolation and keep pubs open, according to Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae, who used his leaders questions in the Dáil to complain about strict drink-driving rules yesterday.

The Government has been accused of failing to deal with a serious lack of resources in border areas following the brutal attack on Quinn executive Kevin Lunney.

At a meeting of Fine Gael Ministers this morning Leo Varadkar said he won't go to the polls before Christmas.