Cabinet approves plan for ending Covid-related restrictions

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will address the nation at 6pm, where he will confirm that most restrictions will end from October 22.

Cabinet has approved a new plan for ending Covid-related restrictions.

The meeting of the full Cabinet ended this afternoon with ministers signing off on a plan called Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will address the nation at 6pm, where he will confirm that most restrictions will end from October 22.

Earlier, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that the return to 100% capacity on public transport is not a sign that the Covid-19 pandemic is over. Mr Ryan said that mask wearing will continue for some time.

He said that with that in mind, Ireland has to resume something akin to normal life.

"We don't want to take our guard down. But we can't expect Irish people not to get back to college, get back into the office, have weddings, have critical events for our mental health.

It's been a tough, lonely period. It's important to bring that to an end, and still manage that carefully.

The Government road map to reopening society could start as early as next week.

Following a lengthy meeting last night, sources said that next week, September 6, and September 20 will be key dates.

It has also been confirmed that after school indoor activities for children such as dance and drama classes are to recommence on September 20 under the Government's major re-opening of society plan.

The rolling back of restrictions is contingent, however, on Ireland reaching a total of 90% of adults vaccinated and the stability of the virus.

The Covid sub-committee agreed to a proposal by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly that the 90% figure would not be "rigid" and that the reopening will proceed on a "cautious" basis, with no major "Freedom Day" as was seen in the UK.

While live music at weddings, communions and confirmations and increased numbers at events will come in from next week, the 11.30pm curfew is set to be one of the last things to change. 

Sources said this was unlikely before October 22 when nightclubs, discos and dances are set to come back.

Mask wearing in certain settings will remain as a mandatory requirement, under the proposals agreed by the Cabinet sub-committee.

From next week, Michael McGrath said we can start making progress in practical terms in unwinding some of the restrictions that are there, and that would be done over a number of weeks into October. File picture: Collins 

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath confirmed earlier today that Covid-19 restrictions will begin to unwind from next week.

He said there won’t be a declaration that the pandemic is over but there will be a gradual move from regulations to personal responsibility.

“I don't believe you will see any big declaration that the battle of Covid is over, or anything of the sort. Because it is not, we are going to have to continue to be cautious and vigilant in the fight against Covid-19,” he said.

From next week, he said we can start making progress in practical terms in unwinding some of the restrictions that are there, and that would be done over a number of weeks into October.

Speaking to reporters on his way into the Cabinet sub-committee meeting on Covid-19 yesterday, Mr McGrath said the government is keen to restore 100% capacity on public transport to allow the full return of schools and colleges.

“With the return of education as well as the gradual return of people to their normal pace of work, there will be a need for full capacity in the public transport system,” he said.

Religious services such as confirmations and communions are likely to recommence in the early stages of the plan, he said too.

Mr McGrath also confirmed that the government will be prioritising the return of indoor classes such as drama, dancing and gymnastics for children in the early phase of the plan.

Mr McGrath warned however that the government will always look to pause or reverse the measures if the public health situation dictates it, saying it would be “imprudent” not to.

I think we have to acknowledge that a level of uncertainty remains and every time that we think we're getting ahead of the virus, something happens and throws our plans off track,” he said.

“So we do have to retain that flexibility, and we have to retain the right to change and to reflect the circumstances, as we face them. If the circumstances change in a significant way then of course government will have to respond to that, it would be imprudent not to do so,” he said.

He said that after 18 months of great hardship, the government trusts the people to do the right thing once regulations are lifted.

Mr McGrath said the government is keen to restore 100% capacity on public transport to allow the full return of schools and colleges.

Mr McGrath said the provision of wage subsidies and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will be there “for quite some time” even with the re-opening.

“That support remains in place, there will be significant supports there to help people get back to work, to support businesses as a means of overcoming the challenge,” he said.

He said as the economy transitions out of lockdown restrictions, he said the wage subsidy scheme will become more important compared to the PUP.

Meanwhile, digital Covid certificates will be needed to access live music gigs, indoor sports, and other organised activities under plans to be finalised by the Government today.

Senior Government sources told the Irish Examiner that access to events across the remaining sectors will be on the basis of proving full vaccination.

The Cabinet Covid-19 sub-committee is meeting today to decide on the final details of the plan to reopen all remaining sectors of society.

Using the digital cert to manage increased numbers at religious services has been ruled out, even though Communions and Confirmations are to return within weeks.

It is likely the numbers allowed to attend weddings and funerals will also increase to 100.

Return of 1.5m students

All public transport will operate at 100% capacity from Wednesday to facilitate the return of 1.5m school children and college students, as well as a return of office workers.

“We’re bringing back schools, bringing back colleges, and also a return to offices. To prepare and provide for that, we need public transport,” said Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.

He confirmed Communions and Confirmations would return “very quickly”, but other restrictions on the number of people attending live entertainment would unwind during September and into October.

“A gradual reopening is the correct approach,” he said.

The plan will be signed off and approved by the full Cabinet tomorrow.

Ahead of those meetings, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, and Arts Minister Catherine Martin are to hold a meeting with the Event Industry Alliance today, where arts and live entertainment groups will push for an early reopening of the sector.

Future of Nphet

Meanwhile, there have been mixed signals from the Government about the future of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).

Mr Martin, speaking in Cork on Saturday, hinted that the role of Nphet was to be re-examined.

“What we’re looking at is how we transition into normalcy, in terms of Government, in terms of how Government works, in terms of the institutions of workers and agencies,” he said.

The winding down of Nphet was “not on the agenda at the moment”, said Mr Ryan yesterday.

However, he acknowledged a need to “move away from the emergency measures” in the medium to long term, and increase investment in public health teams in the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, as many children return to school today, chief medical officer Tony Holohan moved to ease concerns of parents, saying the school environment was not a major source of disease transmission.

Any increase in incidence among children was often linked to the events that occur around school as much as the events that occur within school, he said.

He said preparations for the return of schools were being made at a time of very high incidence of Covid-19.

“I am conscious of the considerable efforts already made by many families, parents, and school staff so that schools can reopen,” he said.

Mask wearing

While it seems certain that college students attending large lectures will have to wear face masks on their return to campus, Trinity College Dublin immunologist Luke O’Neill said primary school children should also wear masks in the classroom in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.

Primary school students do not have to wear masks upon their return to school, with officials viewing it as too challenging for young children and a potential source of stress for pupils.

Secondary school pupils must wear masks at school when indoors.

However, Prof O’Neill said that if mask wearing in primary schools was even 30% effective, it would have a significant impact on breaking the chains of transmission in the younger age groups.