Taoiseach: 'We are on the final stretch of this terrible journey'
Taoiseach Micheál Martin addresses the Nation at Government Buildings,Dublin. Picture: Julien Behal
Ireland is on the "final stretch of this terrible journey", the Taoiseach has said.
Micheál Martin made the comments as the Cabinet signed off on new easing of restrictions, allowing people to travel within their counties from April 12.
From that date, people can meet with another household outdoors and construction can resume.
High-performance training including GAA intercounty can resume from April 19.
From April 26, children's sports training, including dance classes will resume and the number of people allowed at a funeral will go up to 25.
This evening, however, it was clarified that "vaccine bonus" comes into effect today, with two fully vaccinated people allowed to meet indoors and outdoors, without social distancing or face masks.
Fully vaccinated means it has been two weeks since an individual received their second Covid-19 jab.
A phased reopening of non-essential retail and personal services will begin in May, he said, with hotels and guesthouses opening in June.
He added that there would be "much more freedom" in late summer.
Mr Martin said that "a lot has been asked of everyone" and that it "has been and continues to be exceptionally difficult" but said that the public should keep an eye on the purpose of lockdowns, saying that people had "saved lives".
Mr Martin said that the B117 variant had changed the landscape with regard to the virus.
But, he said, vaccines were "transformative" and "the way out".
He said that supply was "the only thing holding us back".
He said this supply would increase from April and the rollout would pick up the pace into the summer.
Mr Martin said that by the end of next week, Ireland will have administered close to one million vaccine doses, which will give more options on lifting restrictions.
"By the middle of April, all over 70s will have had their first dose. Despite the difficulties with international supply, our vaccine programme is well underway."
He said that six million doses would be administered by July.
However, backbench Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry launched a broadside at the announcement saying that there was a need to "get a plan".
"Live Horse and get grass is not a strategy. It's time we developed one.
"The national mood is unquestionably very low with ongoing restrictions and lockdowns. The supply of vaccines and our ability to administer one million per month should supply emerge are questionable and certainly not dependable given the form shown by suppliers so far."
Mr MacSharry said that the Government needs to become less "risk-averse" and said that the country should order stocks of the Russian Sputnik vaccine.
"We cannot continue as we are. A fourth wave is a mathematical certainty and the mood of the nation is absolutely at breaking point. We must try a real strategy and cannot continue with total risk aversion."
The Tanaiste said it was a “hopeful day” but he acknowledged there would be “significant disappointment” among a lot of businesses and workers across the country by the phased reopening.
Leo Varadkar said he wanted to make sure that when businesses reopen they do so “for good”.
“It makes sense to wait a little while longer, so that we can get more people vaccinated, and make sure that when we open, we do so in a sustainable way,” he added.
He added that all going to plan the Government would consider reopening hospitality in June.
“But this of course is all contingent on things going in the right direction In relation to the virus, hospitals, variants and vaccines in the coming weeks and months,” he said.
The Government’s financial supports for businesses and workers will stay in place throughout the easing of restrictions.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the Government was lifting the restrictions slowly in a bid to avoid a fourth wave of the disease.
“It’s very slow, it’s cautious, it’s not a huge opening up,” Mr Ryan said.
“But for our older people, there is now a sense of the path to recovery. "Over 70 if you’ve had a second jab, two weeks later you can start meeting up with other people in the same circumstance.
“That isolation that cocooning is starting to crack.”
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said the Government’s new measures would see the country through the coming weeks to “brighter days and better times ahead”.
“By July, 80% of adults will hopefully have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.
“This will change things fundamentally. We can and should be hopeful and optimistic of an enjoyable summer that’s much better than what we’ve experienced over the past six months.”
But he warned that the country was “not there yet” with the level of infection remaining high.
“In the past week alone we have reported almost 4,000 new cases and our incidents is 63% higher than it was the week leading into Christmas,” he said.
“Unfortunately, this means that we remain susceptible to a fourth wave of infection, particularly if measures are eased too quickly.”
However he said this risk would be reduced if cases are kept under control in April and May.
- From today, those who are fully vaccinated are allowed to visit other fully vaccinated people indoors, providing two weeks have elapsed since their second jab. This includes without wearing face coverings or staying two metres apart.
- Full return to in-school teaching.
- Two households can meet up with one another outdoors for social and recreational purposes (this does not include private gardens).
- Travel restrictions will be relaxed to enable travel within own county or within 20km of residence if crossing county boundaries.
- All residential construction projects can recommence.
- Early learning and childcare and school-aged childcare services will be added to list of essential services for construction activity
- GAA senior inter-county teams to be allowed to return to training
- High-performing athletes can resume training.
- People will be able to play golf and tennis
- Underage sports training can resume outdoors
- Outdoor visitor attractions can reopen such as zoos, open pet farms, heritage sites.
- Attendance at funerals to increase to 25
- Full re-opening of construction activity.
- Phased return of non-essential retail commencing with click and collect and outdoor retail i.e. garden centres/nurseries.
- Recommencement of personal services on a staggered basis.
- Re-opening of museums, galleries and libraries
- Recommencement of religious services on a staggered basis
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