The Irish Government has published (23 February 2021) further information on current public health restrictions under Level 5 as part of the Government’s new Covid-19 Resilience & Recovery 2021:  The Path Ahead plan.  People continue to be urged to stay at home except for absolutely essential reasons.

Level 5 restrictions have been extended until Monday 5 April.

Further details can be read on the Government’s website here.

The 60-page Covid-19 Resilience & Recovery 2021: The Path Ahead document can be accessed here as a pdf.

An Taoiseach’s speech from 23 February, when he addressed the nation, can be read here. 

You can listen back to An Taoiseach’s speech here.

The press release can be read here – from the Government’s website.

Some measures of interest to our members as part of The Path Ahead include:

Construction

Construction remains closed, with the following exceptions:

  • essential health and related projects including those relevant to preventing, limiting, minimising or slowing the spread of Covid-19
  • social housing projects, including voids, designated as essential sites by Local Authorities based on set criteria
  • housing adaptation grants where the homeowner is agreeable to adaptions being undertaken in their home
  • repair, maintenance and construction of critical transport and utility infrastructure
  • education facilities sites designated as essential by the Department of Education
  • supply and delivery of essential or emergency maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, oil, plumbing, glazing and roofing services) on an emergency call-out basis
  • certain large construction projects in the exporting / FDI sector based on set criteria
  • in relation to private homes that are practically complete and scheduled for habitation by 31 January 2021, including where snagging, and essential remediation work, such as pyrite works is nearing completion, works should continue to enable homeowners access their homes. Heating, water, broadband and electricity installation should also continue to enable homes be occupied

Economic Measures

A new National Economic Recovery Plan to reboot the economy in the aftermath of the pandemic is in the advanced stages of development within Government.

The following financial supports have been extended:

Pandemic Unemployment Payment        Extended to 30 June 2021

Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme        Extended to 30 June 2021

Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit            Extended to 30 June 2021

Covid Restrictions Support Scheme         Extended to 30 June 2021

Suspension of redundancy provisions     Extended to 30 June 2021

Commercial rates waiver                           Extended to 30 June 2021

Domestic Travel

People will be required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be permitted to take exercise within 5 km of home.

You can travel outside 5 km of home for the following reasons:

  • travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service (note a number of essential services do cover engineering-related activity as you will read. Note however, the points about construction activity). SNAs and other school staff will be allowed to travel to school to facilitate distance learning
  • to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
  • travel to attend disability day services
  • travel to attend a court
  • for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular, for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
  • for food shopping; for farming purposes (food production or care of animals)
  • to attend a wedding or funeral; to visit a grave

No visitors are permitted in private homes or gardens except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, or as part of a support bubble.

Schools

From Monday 1 March, schools will reopen on a phased basis firstly for Junior and Senior Infants, 1st and 2nd class, special schools at 100% capacity, and Leaving Certificate Students.  Other classes will reopen on 8 and 15 March and on the 12 April.  Early learning and care and school-age child-care services to reopen on 29 March.

International Travel

The Government advises against all non-essential international travel. Please see this link here.

All travellers coming into Ireland must:

  • complete a Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form
  • provide evidence that they have a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a Covid-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test carried out no more than 72 hours before they arrive into Ireland, or have evidence that they are exempt from this legal requirement

Please see this link here for more information if you are coming from countries considered at a higher risk.

Organised Indoor Gatherings

No organised indoor gatherings should take place. Small numbers can attend weddings and funerals.

Visiting long-term residential care facilities (nursing and care homes)

Suspended, aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.

For information about protecting yourself from the Coronavirus see here.

Members in our GB region should access this website here for Covid-19 information relating to the GB region.

Members in Northern Ireland should access this website here for information relating to our Northern region.

Members of our Australian region should access this link here and our New Zealand members here.