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Nearly 225,000 people will feel the immediate benefits of inoculation after the government cleared the way for fully vaccinated people to gather indoors.
Thousands of older people and those who work in the health service can now call home two weeks after receiving their second blow.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the new rules for vaccinated people by setting out his plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions in the coming months.
In a live televised speech, the Taoiseach said “we are in the final leg of this terrible journey” and promised to vaccinate everyone over 70 years of age in mid-May.
He also said that the government will have six million vaccines by the end of July.
His comments came after he announced that people will be able to travel throughout his county, or within 20 km of home, starting April 12, while two households will be able to socialize outside.
Meanwhile, starting April 26, a variety of outdoor activities such as golf, tennis and sports training for children will be allowed.
Outdoor attractions such as Dublin Zoo and heritage sites will also be able to welcome visitors from this date.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) had asked the government to delay the return of the sport until May.
However, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn said the government’s plan was in line with Nphet’s recommendations.
The Cabinet plan also included increasing the number of people who can attend a funeral from 10 to 25 in the last week of next month.
However, regular religious services will not be allowed until at least May, which means that Mass will continue to be prohibited during Easter.
Residential home construction will restart on April 12, but commercial works will not be allowed until May.
The director general of the Federation of the Construction Industry, Tom Parlon, said that the decision was an “own goal” by the government and said that the ban on commercial works will cost thousands of jobs.
GAA county senior teams will return to training on April 19, before the return of the national hurling and soccer leagues in May.
The Taoiseach also noted that nonessential retail along with hairdressers and barbers could reopen in May.
Libraries, galleries and museums are also scheduled to reopen in May.
The hospitality industry will have to wait until at least June before it can welcome customers, but the Taoiseach said the public can expect “to enjoy much greater freedom later in the summer.”
“This summer, our businesses and our utilities will reopen safely. We will finally get together and enjoy the company of friends and family once more, ”he said.
Fáilte Ireland will present today a new € 17 million fund for hotel companies looking to develop their outdoor dining areas. Hotels, cafes, restaurants and attractions where food is sold will have the right to request support in outdoor improvements, through local authorities throughout the country.
The initiative involves the development of “medium to large-scale permanent public dining spaces” in cities, with the aim of welcoming visitors when it is safe to do so.
Each city council can request up to € 200,000, which will allow them to implement weather protection solutions to facilitate cookouts throughout the year.
Upgrades will include umbrellas, electric heaters, windbreaks / screens, and associated works. Changes to roof structures will also be considered for funding, subject to compliance with planning rules. The Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) said the tavern industry desperately needs a clear plan on how businesses will be able to reopen later in the year.
Padraig Cribben, CEO of VFI, said: “The pub sector is not asking for a reopening date, but we urgently need to understand how we are going to reopen.”
Martin also faced backlash from teachers, Gardaí and child care workers when he revealed that the national vaccination program will be based solely on age once vulnerable and high-risk people are vaccinated.
The Cabinet decision means that younger frontline workers who are already paid less than their older colleagues due to the public sector’s two-tier pay scale will have to wait longer to get vaccinated. The Minister of Education, Norma Foley, the Minister of Justice, Helen McEntee, and the Minister of Children, Roderic O’Gorman, expressed their concern in the Cabinet about the impact of the decision.
However, speaking outside government buildings, the Taoiseach said the new vaccination program may mean that teachers and gardaí get vaccinated earlier because the vaccination program will be implemented faster.
Online editors
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