Coveney: Ministers to relax 5km and outdoor meeting restrictions and allow full school return

The Foreign Affairs Minister said Nphet and the government recognise that people need 'room to breathe' in the context of ongoing restrictions

Simon Coveney: 'What we are trying to ensure is that we don't allow a fourth wave of Covid spread to happen between now and when the majority of adults in the country will be vaccinated.' Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A relaxation of the 5km travel limit and on the number of people you can meet outdoors, a return of all school children and a possible return of construction activity will be announced by the Government on Tuesday.

The National Public Health Emergency Team is to make its final recommendations to Government on Monday ahead of a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on Covid at 6pm that evening which will make recommendations for the full Cabinet on Tuesday.

Today, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said both Nphet and indeed the government recognise that people do need some room to breathe in the context of the impact that these restrictions have had for so many months.

“I would expect, but I can't be sure that we will be looking at the 5km restriction, that we'll be looking at outdoor activity. We will certainly want to facilitate completing the full return to school for our children after April 5,” he said.

Mr Coveney said that if possible, the Government will approve a return to construction.

“If it can be done safely, the government would really like to do that, because every week that we aren't building houses, we are building up a real pressure point and a problem in terms of housing demand. 

"We know that. I'm a former Housing Minister, I understand those numbers very, very well,” he said.

Mr Coveney, speaking on RTÉ Radio said the government’s room for manoeuvre is very narrow.

“What we are trying to ensure is that we don't allow a fourth wave of Covid spread to happen between now and when the majority of adults in the country will be vaccinated,” he said.

Mr Coveney said that by, certainly mid July, the vast majority of people who want to be vaccinated will be. 

"And so, I think there'll be a lot of caution for government to try to make sure that we don't allow what happened in particular in January, to happen again,” he added.

Arts Minister Catherine Martin echoed what Mr Coveney said.

“We expect to be in a position to extend the current five kilometre limit, to extend to outdoor meetings beyond one household and of course easing restrictions outdoors, including sports and activity and construction,” she said.

“We want to give people signs of hope, but we have to be realistic to very genuine concerns around a fourth wave. We are making steady progress with return of childcare, we are still aiming for a full return of all schools in April,” she added.