Donnelly: 'Too early to advise' if staycations will be allowed this summer

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said it's still too early to give definitive advice on the possibility of staycations this summer, above Inchydoney, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

The Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said it's "too early to advise on how and when" construction will reopen, sports training will resume, or whether staycation holidays will be permitted this summer.

While children in junior and senior infants classes as well as Leaving Cert students are expected to return to the classroom from early next month, Mr Donnelly indicated that any other reopening of the economy will not happen for some time.

It comes as the Taoiseach warned that level 5 restrictions could remain in place until May.

Mr Donnelly said the vaccine offers "more than a chink of light" and there is a huge amount of positivity in GP surgeries around the country as it is being rolled out.

As more vaccines are administered, he said we can start "thinking differently" about restrictions.

Appealing to people to "stick with it", Mr Donnelly said: "Right across the country people are tired, people are exhausted, they just want to get out again they just want to see each other.

"But the advice we have from Nphet is very clear. What they're saying is mobility is beginning to tip back up again. The number of close contacts is beginning to tip back up again," Mr Donnelly said. 

"They pointed out yesterday for the first time that the actual disease rate in the 18- to 24-year-olds has now gone up in the last week." 

It's really tough, but we got to stick with this, we have made huge progress and the vaccines are being rolled out as quickly as they're coming into the country.

Mr Donnelly said the vaccine offers "more than a chink of light" and there is a huge amount of positivity in GP surgeries around the country as it is being rolled out. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

On the resumption of construction, outdoor sports training and reopening of golf courses, Mr Donnelly cautioned that allowing a number of safe activities could have an impact when combined.

"I think it's important to look at what has happened when we've come out of more severe restrictions in the past.

"What tends to happen is people very reasonably say: 'Can we open construction or essential construction?'

"Other people say: 'Well can we play golf because that's safe?' And other people say: 'Well can we get sports going for children because it is important?'

"Each of them on their own probably wouldn't make much of a difference at all, the concern is that when you start doing lots of reasonable things together, you begin to have an impact," said Mr Donnelly.

On the possibility of staycations this summer, Mr Donnelly told Newstalk Breakfast: "It certainly has to be on the cards."

But he added that "nobody knows" and it's still too early to give definitive advice.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the easting of restrictions was always going to be gradual but the focus of Government now is getting pupils back into the classroom.