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People living alone and parents sharing custody can have 'social bubbles' under new Covid-19 restrictions

The measure will permit people who live alone to interact with another household.

SO-CALLED ‘SOCIAL BUBBLES’ have been introduced under the latest level of Covid-19 restrictions.

Certain groups of people, including adults living alone and parents with shared custody arrangements, will be allowed to interact with one other nominated household under the Level 5 plans. 

“This will allow for social support beyond the caring exemptions already available,” the government said. 

Those interactions can happen indoors and the households do not have to be within 5k of each other – but the nominated household should not change during the six-week period of restrictions. 

In a statement, the government confirmed the proposal is to support people at risk of isolation including: 

  • those who live alone
  • those living alone with children under the age of 18
  • those who have shared parenting or shared custody arrangements
  • those living alone who have mental health challenges
  • those living with a partner with certain conditions such as dementia
  • those living alone who have a carer or carers to support them.

In his address to the nation this evening, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “I understand that social isolation and anxiety is a very real issue for many people and especially those who live alone.

“Therefore, we are including, as part of the ‘own household’ provisions, the concept of a ‘support bubble’.  

“This will allow persons living alone, parenting alone or similarly at risk of social isolation to pair with one other household as part of a ‘support bubble’.”

Speaking on Claire Byrne Live on RTÉ One, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the system was designed for one-adult households.  

However, he added that there is an exception for adults who are caring for partners who have dementia, for example, “for compassionate grounds”. 

Multiple bubbles are not allowed, and a ‘chain’ of bubbles cannot be formed. 

For example, three adults living in a house-share cannot each form an individual bubble with another house. In this scenario, the three adults would be counted as one unit, and would be limited to forming a bubble with just one other household.    

The Taoiseach told reporters at a press conference that the system has to operate on the ‘good faith’ of people. 

In the United Kingdom, the Department of Health and Social Care recently published guidance that allowed for social bubbles to be formed during the pandemic.

Social bubbles have been introduced in the UK within the last month, and were in place throughout the lockdown in New Zealand.

Separately, the guidance says that households are permitted to mix with one other household over the six-week period but only in outdoor settings (but not home gardens). 

Guidance for over-70s

In its new guidance this evening, the government urged those over the age of 70 to continue to exercise personal judgement because of their vulnerability against the virus. 

According to the fresh advice, “It is recommended that they stay at home as much as possible, limit engagement to a very small network for short periods of time, while remaining physically distanced.

“When taking exercise outdoors, it is important to maintain two metres distance from others and wash hands on returning home. It is recommended to shop during designated hours only, while wearing a face covering, and to avoid public transport.”

With reporting by Sinéad O’Carroll 

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39 Comments
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    Mute Deborah Blacoe
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:29 PM

    Social bubbles! Give me strength.

    189
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    Mute Greedylocks
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:30 PM

    Lock down with schools open is a paper tiger.

    177
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    Mute Carol Oates
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:37 PM

    No one adult household unless it’s an adult caring for a partner with dementia. No mention of carers caring for adults with other illness or physical or intellectual disability that might need support.

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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Oct 20th 2020, 6:21 AM

    @Carol Oates: that is covered by the other exemptions, “caring for the vulnerable “. And yes one single adult can form a support bubble with one other household

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    Mute Carol Oates
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    Oct 20th 2020, 12:47 PM

    @Siobhan Rosemary: Our situation is definitely not covered by exemption but I will be using my own judgement as I have been doing since support ceased for us in March.

    11
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    Mute Lisa O Connor
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:45 PM

    I am my mothers carer, she lives alone and I visit her couple times a week. She is deaf but I live 20km away from her. The last lockdown she was so nervous and afraid to even leave to walk her dog as people were saying she shouldnt be out . I was stopped 5 times by police travelling . Do you have to apply now for social bubble or as a carer ? I’m confused what needs to be done.

    95
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    Mute David Clements
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:56 PM

    @Lisa O Connor: you need to do nothing but continue visiting her. You will be stopped by Gardai but they’ll wave you on

    197
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    Mute barry moore
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:56 PM

    @Lisa O Connor: what needs to be done. You look after you mother. You are your mothers carer the garda won’t stop you from doing that. They may ask questions just be honest. If they bring in fines and you meet the wrong garda contest it in court.

    Would it be an option for her to move in to your place for the duration of the restrictions?

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    Mute Lisa O Connor
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:02 PM

    @barry moore: I might move to her though my work office is here. It’s a idea though thank you

    45
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    Mute barry moore
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:06 PM

    @Lisa O Connor: our parents done what was best for us when they had to. Its now our turn to protect them.

    63
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    Mute Lisa O Connor
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:21 PM

    @David Clements: thanks just a bit bamboozled by all this again

    34
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    Mute Lisa O Connor
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:22 PM

    @barry moore: 100% agree

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    Mute Mary Oliver
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    Oct 20th 2020, 7:07 PM

    @Lisa O Connor: what if the only person you can have a bubble with dosent live near you

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    Mute Thomas Linehan
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:51 PM

    No financial help for pensioners

    54
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    Mute Sara Davis
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    Oct 20th 2020, 11:45 AM

    @Thomas Linehan: what extra financial help were you expecting? The pensions are still being paid.

    8
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    Mute LD
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    Oct 20th 2020, 12:45 AM

    People can do as they please in their own homes, and the government can carry on colouring in their guidelines in their covid scrapbooks.

    48
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    Mute Mary Oliver
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:37 PM

    How can you have a social bubble with a member of your family if they dont live near you

    69
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    Mute Shane
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:42 PM

    @Mary Oliver: Social bubbles aren’t limited to 5km.

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    Mute Hugh Mc Donnell
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:47 PM

    @Mary Oliver: how can you visit your elderly parents who live in a different county does this count as essential or how do you prove you need to leave your county

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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:53 PM

    @Hugh Mc Donnell: well my mam is a widow and lives in a different county, so while I 100% will support this lockdown and play my part, I wont be stopping travelling across counties to visit here amd ensure she is safe amd sound..and I really don’t think, or hope, the guards don’t decide they know best if they stop me

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    Mute David Clements
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:54 PM

    @Mary Oliver: the distance doesnt matter in that instance

    26
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    Mute David Clements
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:55 PM

    @Hugh Mc Donnell: I don’t think county boundaries apply. Visit away if you need to

    41
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    Mute David Clements
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    Oct 19th 2020, 10:55 PM

    @Mark Murphy: they won’t. You’d be acting within the restrictions..

    31
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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Oct 20th 2020, 6:23 AM

    @Mary Oliver: the 5km rules doesnt apply for support bubbles

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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Oct 20th 2020, 6:18 AM

    Delighted I wont have to be alone again as the last lockdown was a struggle.

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    Mute Niall O
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:17 PM

    I presume there won’t be any covid checkpoints because the Gardaí won’t be able to challenge anything. As if their job wasn’t challenging enough

    33
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    Mute Sinéad White
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    Oct 20th 2020, 3:11 AM

    @Niall O: The Gardaí have been arresting plenty of people during lockdown. I fully believe in people using full protections in the way of masks etc but the Gardaí were never given official powers to arrest people travelling without proper excuse but they’ve been doing so anyway? It’s an abuse of power. Outside of Covid, I’ve seen them not bother with their actual duties out of laziness and lack of empathy honestly. It’s all about stats now and not about their actual duty of care unfortunately.

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    Mute Sara Davis
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    Oct 20th 2020, 11:46 AM

    @Sinéad White: what evidence do you have of Gardai arresting people without cause?

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    Mute easy_money82
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    Oct 20th 2020, 12:42 AM

    How they going to police that! Do you have to submit other household and where.

    Get stopped “where you going?”. Ah just over to me bubble buddy

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    Mute Liam McDonald
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:12 PM

    The courts were already ruling during the last lockdown that covid restrictions could not infringe on custody rights.

    27
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    Mute Seán O'Conchubhair
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    Oct 20th 2020, 12:36 AM

    @Liam McDonald: yeh you just need to wait 6 months to get infront of a judge.

    If they start fining people and having them before a judge ahead of custody cases waiting 9 months to be heard there’ll be a riot

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    Mute christopher dyas
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:38 PM

    So wot does a house with 4 collage adults that on a Friday evening pick up and head home to there family come under ??

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    Mute Sara Davis
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    Oct 20th 2020, 11:48 AM

    @christopher dyas: as they are adults then I’d say they need to choose which household they are going to stay in before Wednesday midnight.

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    Mute Vanessa
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:04 PM

    I don’t get it. If someone has shared custody does she/he has to have the other parent as social bubble or can that person also pick someone else?

    16
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    Mute Tinky Freeman
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:22 PM

    @Vanessa: I think it has to be the other parent.

    18
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    Mute Vanessa
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:26 PM

    @Tinky Freeman: Oh… that’s cruel

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    Mute Vanessa
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    Oct 19th 2020, 11:26 PM

    @Tinky Freeman: but thank you

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    Mute Gavin Linden
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    Oct 20th 2020, 12:31 AM

    @Vanessa: It is the exact same as it has been all along going right back to March, children from seperatd/divorced parents were always in the same ‘bubble’ and treated as a one entity.

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    Mute Vanessa
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    Oct 20th 2020, 6:29 AM

    @Gavin Linden: Thank you for clarification. It’s just very tone deaf as it ignores completely that the couples might be separated for a reason.

    15
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    Mute Bountyop
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    Oct 20th 2020, 7:05 AM

    @Gavin Linden: Which is terrible when one parent doesn’t believe in guidelines

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    Mute Susie
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    Oct 20th 2020, 8:56 AM

    @Vanessa: this is in addition to current care exemptions in place. Since March you were always able to interact with your childs other parent if sharing custody and for visits and that exemption remains unchanged. This is allowing you to pick one more household to enable you to have someone to be social with. It is “in addition to current care exemptions”.

    6
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