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Julien Behal

Confirmed: Shops, restaurants and some pubs reopen next week, green light for household visits at Christmas

Taoiseach Micheál Martin made the announcement this evening.

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has confirmed that shops, restaurants, gyms and some pubs will reopen next week, and that its advice is that household visits will be allowed at Christmas. 

In a nationwide address this evening, Martin announced the Covid-19 restrictions that will replace Level 5, which has been in force since 22 October.

He said there had been a “massive national effort” to push back the disease.

“It hasn’t been easy. Many individuals and businesses have made huge sacrifices. And many more are totally fed up with Covid-19 and everything that has come with it over the past nine months.”

“I understand that feeling. Very often I share it.”

“It’s mentally exhausting,” he said. He said it can be easy to forget the magnitude of what we are fighting against; a virus that has killed more than 3,000 people in this island.

That is a terrible toll. And behind that number, there are many thousands of partners, children, siblings and friends who are grieving. There are also many people still struggling with the symptoms and after effects of Covid. We remember them; and the efforts and the sacrifices we have made over the course of this year, honours them.

He said the encouraging news is that those sacrifices are working and “lives have been saved”. 

The Taoiseach said the country will move to Level 3 from 1 December, with some modifications.

From next Tuesday 1 December, retailers, hairdressers, gyms, libraries, galleries and cinemas will reopen. People will be permitted to use tennis courts and golf courses, and religious services will also be allowed to resume. Theatres are to remain closed, the Taoiseach confirmed at a press conference after his address.

From Friday 4 December, restaurants and pubs with a kitchen on-site are to reopen, but with additional restrictions than before. Hotels will also be able to open to indoor diners. 

Pubs that only serve alcohol will not be permitted to reopen before Christmas, but will be allowed to serve takeaway drinks.

From Friday 18 December, restrictions on household visits will be lifted from a ban on household visits, to allow two households to visit a third. Inter-county travel will also be permitted from this date, until 6 January.

From 7 January, the measures put in place prior to 18 of December will apply, subject to ongoing review of the trajectory of the virus.

People are advised to continue to work from home unless it is absolutely necessary they attend in person. The Taoiseach said it has further been agreed that the use of facemasks is now recommended in crowded workplaces, places of worship and in busy or crowded outdoor spaces where there is significant congregation.

Earlier this week, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) had advised the government against reopening restaurants and pubs that serve food before Christmas. Although the government didn’t heed this advice, it’s understood that it informed decisions around household visits during a two-week period over Christmas.

The Irish government is advising that there should be no hugs or handshakes with people over for Christmas, and that people should wear a face mask while visitors are over.

- With reporting by Michelle Hennessy.

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Feb 26th 2019, 8:42 AM

    @Ann Lennon:
    From reading this and other articles, it would appear that the “fall from grace” was in his mind.
    A much more pertinent question, was the councillor with with whom he had 10 sessions suitably qualified to determine whether Hawe was a danger to himself or his family? I think “the two felt a connection.” is an extraordinary statement.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Feb 26th 2019, 9:44 AM

    @John Jones: the point is they don’t know. The gardai won’t release the files and the school has never once contacted the family.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Feb 26th 2019, 11:32 AM

    @John Jones: no, not a deliberate cover up, but the family are entiteled to some answers to their legitimate questions. The fact that the school has never contacted these people is not speculation, it’s fact, according to them.

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:32 AM

    Tragic and cruel, but there are far too many experts on here giving their twopence worth.If only mental health was that easy to diagnose,leave it to those that have some idea what they are talking about .

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    Mute Matt Beaumont
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:41 AM

    @Anthony Gallagher: well obviously they didn’t in that case.

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    Mute John Jones
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:46 AM

    @James Wallace: Do you think theres a cover up. I think it’s sad how there’s a massive slight being put on the school based on pure speculation.

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    Mute Jane
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    Feb 26th 2019, 2:18 PM

    @CrabaRev: I dont think it’s true to say the fall from grace was in his head. From the Independent.

    He has said in his own words that he was caught red-handed and we do know that he was looking at pornography….

    “We’ve had sight of the counselling notes and he had said he was masturbating somewhere that he shouldn’t have been… So we have pieces of information but we don’t know who caught him.
    “We do know, in the June, he cancelled all his counselling sessions and this all happened the day before he was to return to school,” she said. “He said that it was easier for them to die than to have to live with the truth of what he was doing.”

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2019, 8:10 PM

    @Jane: The counselor said that he said this?? She was in a position to go to gardai with this information; patient confidentiality goes out the window when there is a real risk to life. Did she pass this information onto the guards before the murders?

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Feb 26th 2019, 4:54 PM

    @Jane: I replied to your comment, but my comment was deleted for some weird Journal.ie reason. What you have just quoted from the Indo was a quote from Clodagh’s sister.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:19 AM

    It seems it is about the will, and who gets what! Which family benefits from the assets left over…I was wondering why this case had come up again. It is petty infighting between family…..over the assets left behind…

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    Mute Maria Hickey-Fagan
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:57 AM

    @GerryCummins: would you ever stop. This is a broken, devastated family looking for answers.

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    Mute Anne O'Brien
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:33 AM

    This Family needs answers, why do they not have the full story. Release all records if you will not share the truth. That councillor statement is bizarre, and a big worry if you ask me. Badly done school. I say wow Mammy, Sister, Granmother, and Aunt you are now fighting for the defenseless I really hope you get your answers. Why O Why

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    Mute helen walsh
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:40 AM

    My comments are constantly removed, who is behind that? Is my personal information being given to cronies..

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