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THE NUMBER OF mourners allowed at funerals will be increased from 26 April but there is to be no change in Covid-19 regulations to allow for in-person Easter services.
From 26 April, the maximum attendance at a funeral will increase to 25 people from the current maximum of 10 people.
Guidance released by the government this evening notes that “linked gatherings should not take place before or after funeral services”.
This guidance is a reference to previous concerns outlined by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) that people were meeting in private households and ignoring social distancing guidelines following funeral services.
While the number of people attending funerals is set to increase, there are currently no plans for an increase in the number allowed to attend weddings, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying this will be reviewed.
At present, a maximum of six guests can attend weddings.
There is also no immediate change allowing for religious services to take place, with the Taoiseach saying that services could return in May “depending on progress”.
Consideration on this will take place after 4 May.
This decision means that the government will not be adhering to a request from the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland who had said that people should be able to gather safely to mark Easter in Ireland.
During an address this evening, the Taoiseach acknowledged that Easter can not be celebrated “in the manner we would like”.
“Easter is a time for reflection and it is a time of renewal. This year we will not be able to mark or celebrate Easter in the manner we would like, but we can and we should take the time to reflect on the sacrifices that we’ve all made over the past year. We can and we should take time this Easter to look forward with hope,” he said.
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Go noonan, there is only one way you can satisfy electorate, burn senior bondholders or else loose all respect from us, If you back out.
He looks like a bull dog chewing a wasp, but I think hes the only one with any guts and backbone in the Government and that he has found his place in Finance. Burn ‘em Michael, look after Ireland before the EU currency! The EU will do everything it can to keep the Euro so tell ‘em we will burn them all, close the banks and open our own new bank not linked to EU based on Irish deposits and then see what they have to say about interet rates and corporation tax – tell ‘em will cut that too if they mention it again !
Could Ireland being getting a pair of liathroidi. About time.
Merkle and sarkozi (which my iPhone autocorrects to ‘warlock’ ha!) are so reluctant to burn the bondholders because most of them are French and German. It has everything to do with protecting their own patch and trying to get re-elected, and nothing to do with the good of Europe as a whole. We need to be part of Europe, but the cowtowing and grovelling needs to be over. The bondholders should have to carry their own pain, it was a failed investment. If they could reap the benefits, which they did, they should have to take the burden as well.
It’s like a poker game out there , and Noonan has the face and the balls to get us a better deal .who else would you send ,(he’s from Limerick )
Anyone explain how a Greek default would have consequences for Ireland?
Just wondering.
Putting more debt on top of more debt in Greece is solving nothing………and very bad financial advice…………I hope the people on the streets of Greece win….
The euro is a cobbled together currency and is doomed to failure,its only function is to keep Merkin and Kermit important in their own minds.
Several of the newspaper pundits forecast [ some six months ago ?] that the real crunch would come here in June/July when the fight to pay bills got too much and when the money borrowed from family and friends to avoid the shame of not paying the mortgage dried up.I think one writer gave advice on how to stuff the building society and keep the roof over ones head by using the courts ? Will we see this happen in the next few weeks?
have your say