The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
has had a deep impact on the
Irish economy, leading it into a
recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
. Essential public health measures announced by the
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
to contain the spread of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
resulted in the largest monthly increase in unemployment in the history of the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
during March 2020. By 24 April, there were more than one million people in receipt of support interventions to the labour market, including those in receipt of the
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (referred to as the PUP) was a government emergency aid program in the Republic of Ireland that provided monetary relief to those who face unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, whether formerly emp ...
and the
COVID-19 Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. While there were job losses in all sectors, individuals working in tourism, hospitality, food and retail have seen the largest job losses.
Agriculture
In late-March 2020, all
marts were shut as part of measures introduced to combat the spread of COVID-19. However,
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( ga, An tAire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Historically, the agriculture portfol ...
Michael Creed said the
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( ga, An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a department of the Government of Ireland. According to the department, its mission is to "lead the sustainable development of a competitive, con ...
would permit livestock marts to reopen for limited reasons if
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
could be adhered to. Thus, another first for Ireland, a virtual mart occurring in
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
, and prompted by pandemic restrictions on social gatherings. Irish agri-software company, Livestock-Live (based in
Mullingar
Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census.
The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeat ...
), provided the live streaming technology to facilitate the online bidding of farmers, having first introduced its cameras to
Carnaross Mart in January 2018 and completed testing of them the day before marts were shut in 2020, giving the Meath mart the advantage over others.
By the beginning of April, at least two dozen
agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which selective breeding, breed ...
s had been cancelled—among these were events scheduled for
Athenry
Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virtu ...
,
Athlone
Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...
,
Ballinrobe
Ballinrobe () is a town in County Mayo in Ireland. It is located on the River Robe, which empties into Lough Mask two kilometres to the west. As of the 2016 census, the population was 2,786.
History Foundation and development
Ballinrobe is con ...
, the
Ballivor
Ballivor ( /'bælaɪvər/ BAL-eyevər; ) is a village in County Meath, Ireland. It had a population of 1,809 at the 2016 census. It is located on the R156 regional road between the towns of Mullingar and Trim.
Public transport
Bus Éireann ro ...
Horse Show, Ballyfoyle,
Bandon,
Bannow
Bannow () is a village and civil parish lying east of Bannow Bay on the south-west coast of County Wexford, Ireland. In modern times the main settlement is the village of Carrig-on-Bannow (or ''Carrig''). In Norman times there was a borough ca ...
/
Rathangan,
Belgooly
Belgooly ( is a village in County Cork, Ireland, located 4.6 kilometres to the north-east of Kinsale. In 2016 it had a population of 826.
History
The Belgooly Flour Mill, a ruinous building within the village, is entered in the initial Record of ...
,
Carnew
Carnew () is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Wicklow situated just a mile from the border with County Wexford. For historical reasons it has often been described as "a Protestant enclave".
Location
Car ...
,
Charleville Charleville can refer to:
Australia
* Charleville, Queensland, a town in Australia
**Charleville railway station, Queensland
France
* Charleville, Marne, a commune in Marne, France
*Charleville-Mézières, a commune in Ardennes, France
** C ...
,
Corrandulla
Corrandulla () is a small village and census town in County Galway, Ireland. It is located in the civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Annaghdown. Corrandulla was designated as a census town by the Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Cent ...
,
Dungarvan
Dungarvan () is a coastal town and harbour in County Waterford, on the south-east coast of Ireland. Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan was the county town and administrative centre of ...
,
Ennistymon
Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. A bridge across the river leads to ...
,
Gorey
Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the ''Gorey Guardian''.
As a growi ...
,
Midleton
Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
,
Newmarket-on-Fergus
Newmarket-on-Fergus, historically known as Corracatlin (), is a town in County Clare, Ireland. It is 13 kilometres from Ennis, 8 kilometres from Shannon Airport, and 24 kilometres from Limerick.
History
The English rendering of the name 'Newm ...
,
Nobber
Nobber ( – referring to the description by the local native Irish population, to the development of moat around a Norman castle) is a village in north County Meath, Ireland. The village is located near a river called the Dee () and near White ...
,
Oldcastle,
Riverstown
Riverstown, historically called ''Ballyederdaowen'' (), is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. Known for its musical tradition it is located at a bridging point of the River Unshin (Arrow), 17.2 km (10 miles) south of Sligo town and 4  ...
,
Scarriff
Scarriff Central Statistics Office, Census 2002Population of Towns ordered by County and size, 1996 and 2002 or Scariff () is a large village in east County Clare, Ireland, situated in the midwest of Ireland. The town is on the West end of Loug ...
,
Tydavnet
Tydavnet, officially Tedavnet (), is a village in northern County Monaghan, Ireland, and also the name of the townland and civil parish in which the village sits. Both the Church of Ireland and Catholic church have Tydavnet named as a parish ...
,
Tullamore
Tullamore (; ) is the county town of County Offaly in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is on the Grand Canal (Ireland), Grand Canal, in the middle of the county, and is the fourth most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, midlands reg ...
and
Westport. 8 May brought the cancellation of the 2020
National Ploughing Championships
The National Ploughing Championships ( ga, Comórtas Náisiúnta Treabhdóireachta) or NPC, previously known as The National Ploughing Championships Machinery & Livestock Exhibition, is an outdoor agricultural show in Ireland incorporating a p ...
, due to have taken place in
County Carlow
County Carlow ( ; ga, Contae Cheatharlach) is a county located in the South-East Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Carlow is the second smallest and the third least populous of Ireland's 32 traditional counties. Carlow Cou ...
in mid-September.
On 12 June, the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
approved a €50m support package for beef farmers who experienced significant difficulty arising from the economic impact of COVID-19.
On 14 May 2021, the 2021
National Ploughing Championships
The National Ploughing Championships ( ga, Comórtas Náisiúnta Treabhdóireachta) or NPC, previously known as The National Ploughing Championships Machinery & Livestock Exhibition, is an outdoor agricultural show in Ireland incorporating a p ...
, due to have taken place in
County Laois
County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...
in September, was cancelled for a second year due to uncertainty over COVID-19 restrictions. On 15 September, the National Ploughing Championships went ahead in Ratheniska, County Laois on a much scaled-back level, with the trade exhibition element and the world ploughing contest cancelled.
Finance, businesses and the economy
On 16 March 2020,
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty
Regina Doherty (; born 26 January 1971) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Deputy leader of Seanad Éireann since 2022. She was Leader of the Seanad from 2020 to 2022, and is Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad since June 2020. S ...
announced the
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (referred to as the PUP) was a government emergency aid program in the Republic of Ireland that provided monetary relief to those who face unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, whether formerly emp ...
, which would be available for six weeks.
On 18 March, banks—together with
Minister for Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
Paschal Donohoe
Paschal Donohoe (born 19 September 1974) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform since December 2022 and President of the Eurogroup since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the ...
—announced a range of measures, including providing working capital, payment breaks and deferred court proceedings.
On 19 March, Regina Doherty announced that all welfare would be distributed each fortnight instead of the traditional weekly, so as to limit the number of people gathering in post offices.
On 24 March, the
Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme
The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (COVID-19) Act 2020 ( Act No. 2 of 2020; previously the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020, Bill No. 4 of 2020) was an Act of the Oireach ...
was announced for a twelve-week run beginning on 26 March. This allowed employers maintain responsibility for paying employees during the pandemic with the intention of maintaining the employer-employee relationship and ensure that employees continued to be registered with their employers, so that they will be able to get back to work quickly after the pandemic. The Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme replaced an earlier COVID-19 Employer Refund Scheme.
By early April, the
Central Statistics Office (CSO) announced that a figure equivalent to more than one tenth of the country's population were unemployed. A spokesman for
Goodbody Stockbrokers
Goodbody Stockbrokers is Ireland's longest established stockbroking firm with roots dating back to 1877. As well as being one of the leading institutional brokers, it is one of the largest private client firms in Ireland. It is a member firm of ...
described it as "unprecedented". By the following week, the numbers receiving income supports had increased by 40% from the previous week's total.
The
Revenue Commissioners
The Revenue Commissioners ( ga, Na Coimisinéirí Ioncaim), commonly called Revenue, is the Irish Government agency responsible for customs, excise, taxation and related matters. Though Revenue can trace itself back to predecessors (with the A ...
announced that
tax exile
A tax exile is a person who leaves a country to avoid the payment of income tax or other taxes. The term refers to an individual who already owes money to the tax authorities or wishes to avoid being liable in the future for taxation at what they ...
s, normally permitted to spend 183 days of each year within Ireland, could stay for longer in 2020—without affecting taxation—if they could provide evidence that the virus prevented them from leaving.
On 15 April, the
Central Bank of Ireland
The Central Bank of Ireland ( ga, Banc Ceannais na hÉireann) is Ireland's central bank, and as such part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). It is the country's financial services regulator for most categories of financial firms ...
published two reports highlighting a significant reduction in
cash
In economics, cash is money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins.
In bookkeeping and financial accounting, cash is current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-imm ...
and
ATM usage in the country.
On 8 May,
Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures showed an unemployment rate surpassing 28%, the largest in two decades.
On 9 May,
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys
Heather Humphreys (born 14 May 1963) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Social Protection since June 2020. She also briefly served as Minister for Justice in November ...
announced a "Return to Work Safely Protocol" which was published online to support employers and workers to put measures in place that would prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, when the economy begins to slowly open up.
On 15 May, Minister Humphreys announced details of a new €250m "Restart Grant" which would give direct grant aid of between €2,000 and €10,000 to small businesses to help them with the costs associated with reopening and re-employing workers following the COVID-19 closures. The scheme would open for applications on 22 May.
On 22 May, the Government had signed off on €6.8 billion in extra funding for the
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, as it was due to reach this year's spending limit early the following month.
On 28 August,
Minister for Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
Paschal Donohoe
Paschal Donohoe (born 19 September 1974) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform since December 2022 and President of the Eurogroup since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the ...
encouraged employers to register for the
Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme which replaces the
Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme
The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (COVID-19) Act 2020 ( Act No. 2 of 2020; previously the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020, Bill No. 4 of 2020) was an Act of the Oireach ...
from 1 September 2020. The scheme provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers whose turnover has fallen 30% based on the numbers of eligible employees on the employer's payroll, including seasonal staff and new employees. On 1 September, over 22,100 employers registered for the new
Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme which replaced the
Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme
The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (COVID-19) Act 2020 ( Act No. 2 of 2020; previously the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020, Bill No. 4 of 2020) was an Act of the Oireach ...
.
On 7 September, it was announced that Ireland was now officially in recession after the economy shrank by 6.1% between April and June as the impact of COVID-19 brought the largest quarterly drop on record, following new figures published by the
Central Statistics Office.
On 19 October, the Government confirmed that the
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (referred to as the PUP) was a government emergency aid program in the Republic of Ireland that provided monetary relief to those who face unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, whether formerly emp ...
would be restored to €350 for anyone who was earning more than €400 before they lost their job due to COVID-19 restrictions.
On 9 February 2021, the Government announced funding of €160 million in additional supports for businesses affected by COVID-19.
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was repeatedly extended, until it closed to new applicants on 22 January 2022, and officially ended on 25 March 2022.
Hospitality
By mid-March 2020, nearly 3% of the population—140,000 people (including 70,000 restaurant staff and 50,000 pub and bar staff)—had lost their jobs due to restrictions brought in to delay the virus's spread. The numbers of people in normally busy Dublin areas such as
Grafton Street
Grafton Street () is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city centre (the other being Henry Street). It runs from St Stephen's Green in the south (at the highest point of the street) to College Green in the north (the lowest p ...
dropped by percentages in the sixties, seventies and eighties.
Restaurants, cafés and pubs
Restaurants decided to shut their doors on their own initiative. On 22 March, it was announced that all
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
outlets in Ireland and the United Kingdom would be closed from 7 pm on 23 March. The
Irish Farmers' Association
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) (Irish: ''Feirmeoirí Aontaithe na hÉireann'') is a national organisation to represent the interests of all sectors of farming in the Republic of Ireland. The IFA is Ireland's largest farming representative ...
(IFA) outlined the impact this would have on Irish beef farmers, as McDonald's is their biggest customer, dealing with 18,000 Irish farms and using Irish beef in one fifth of its burgers across Europe. The day after the McDonald's announcement, coffeehouse chain
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Dunstable, England.
Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Sergio Costa as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. ...
and restaurant franchise
Subway both announced they would shut their Irish outlets, as did doughnut company
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain.
Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans ch ...
do regarding its one Irish outlet in Dublin. The Irish fast food restaurant chain
Supermac's
Supermac's is an Irish fast food restaurant chain first opened in 1978. The first restaurant was located in Ballinasloe, County Galway, in the West of Ireland. As of 2019, the chain consists of a total of 118 restaurants spread throughout Irelan ...
announced the same day as the Costa and Subway closures that it would shut all its restaurants by the evening of 26 March; it intended the delay to allow emergency services using its facilities time to plan where they would eat, but did say it would shut its seating areas that night. By August 2020,
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
,
Supermac's
Supermac's is an Irish fast food restaurant chain first opened in 1978. The first restaurant was located in Ballinasloe, County Galway, in the West of Ireland. As of 2019, the chain consists of a total of 118 restaurants spread throughout Irelan ...
,
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Dunstable, England.
Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Sergio Costa as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. ...
,
Subway and
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain.
Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans ch ...
reopened providing takeaway, delivery or drive thru services only.
As the third phase of the government's roadmap got underway on 29 June, all restaurants and cafés reopened serving on premises food and strict social distancing and cleaning measures in place. Pubs and bars reopened only if they served "substantial" meals of at least €9—according to the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
and
Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland is the operating name of the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions ...
.
On 4 August,
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...
Leo Varadkar
Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022, and previously from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to De ...
announced that restaurants and pubs serving food would now have to close by 11 pm, but takeaways and deliveries could remain open after that time.
On 13 September, gardaí received legal powers to close restaurants and pubs which do not meet COVID-19 restrictions after President
Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...
signed into law the Criminal Justice Enforcement Powers COVID-19 Bill.
On 4 December, thousands of restaurants, cafés and gastropubs reopened after six weeks of closure.
On 12 December, a bakery in
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
, County Louth closed temporarily after around 15 employees tested positive for COVID-19.
On 24 December (Christmas Eve), all restaurants, cafés and gastropubs closed again at 3 pm following the reimposition of
Level 5 lockdown restrictions (subject to a number of adjustments) until 12 January 2021 at the earliest, after a third wave of COVID-19 arrived in Ireland. Due to the repeated extension of Level 5 restrictions, all restaurants, cafés and gastropubs remained closed.
Under the
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
's reopening plan throughout May and June 2021, outdoor services in restaurants and bars could recommence, with groups limited to a maximum of 6 people from 7 June 2021.
Under new COVID-19 safety guidelines issued by
Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland is the operating name of the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions ...
on 26 May, a maximum of six people aged 13 years and over would be allowed per table when restaurants, pubs and cafés open in June, with up to 15 people allowed when accompanying children under the age of 12.
On 28 May,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
confirmed that outdoor services in all restaurants and pubs could reopen from 7 June, while indoor services could reopen from 5 July.
[ ]
On 7 June, all bars, restaurants and cafés reopened for outdoor service, as the gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions continued.
On 21 June,
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
Heather Humphreys
Heather Humphreys (born 14 May 1963) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Social Protection since June 2020. She also briefly served as Minister for Justice in November ...
spoke to
Garda Commissioner
The Garda Commissioner ( ga, Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. The Garda Commissione ...
Drew Harris
Jeremy Andrew Harris, (born 5 April 1965), is the current Commissioner of the Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland, having assumed office in September 2018. He previously served as Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern ...
about the legal issues around outdoor drinking and pledged to take legislative action to facilitate outdoor hospitality if it was required, after Gardaí warned that alcohol licences were not valid for areas outside pubs and restaurants.
On 29 June, due to the rapidly increasing incidence of the
Delta variant
The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The ...
, the Government announced that the planned reopening of indoor dining and drinking in restaurants and pubs on 5 July would be delayed until at least 19 July when a system to verify vaccination or immunity would be implemented, while 50 guests would be permitted to attend wedding celebrations as an exception from July. On 5 July, a meeting between the hospitality sector and senior government officials took place to discuss the reopening of indoor dining and drinking with representatives told that indoor dining could reopen for 1.8 million fully vaccinated people with a self-regulated vaccine pass system. On 12 July, the Government approved legislation for the resumption of indoor hospitality, with proofs of vaccination needed for those who were vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, while those under 18 would be required to be accompanied by a fully vaccinated person. On the night of 14 July, hundreds of people gathered outside the
Convention Centre
A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
in Dublin to protest against the Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic after the
Dáil passed legislation to allow for the reopening of indoor dining. On 21 July, the Government agreed that indoor dining in pubs and restaurants could resume on Monday 26 July for fully vaccinated and COVID-19 recovered people, after
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...
signed the legislation underpinning new guidelines into law. Under the new guidelines, there would be no time limits for customers, closing time would be set at 11:30pm and up to six people would be allowed sit at tables that must be kept one metre apart. On 23 July, following lengthy discussions, draft guidelines for the reopening of bars and restaurants indoors on Monday 26 July were published. Under the guidelines, the
EU Digital COVID Certificate
The EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC), known in Italy as the Green Pass, and in France as the Sanitary Pass or Health Pass (''passe sanitaire''), was a COVID-19 vaccine passport created by the European Union (EU), that is valid in all Member ...
(DCC) would be the primary evidence for proof of immunity, all customers would have to show photo ID and contact tracing details for all customers would have to be taken, with an online QR code scanner developed to verify people's DCCs.
On 6 August, in the wake of the
Merrion Hotel controversy,
Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland is the operating name of the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions ...
updated its hospitality guidelines to allow customers book multiple tables and host outdoor gatherings with live music for up to 200 people.
On 19 October, the Government published a revised plan for the easing of restrictions on 22 October, with normal operating hours for pubs and restaurants beyond 11:30pm to resume. On 21 October, updated guidelines for hospitality and for the reopening of nightclubs on 22 October were published, with nightclubs allowed to operate at 100% capacity, a maximum of 1,500 people permitted to dance or stand at live music venues and multiple table bookings allowed in pubs and restaurants.
On 3 December, as part of the Government's reintroduction of measures, all restaurants and bars were to revert back to six adults per table and no multiple table bookings allowed from 7 December amid concerns of the
Omicron variant
Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
.
On 17 December, to curb the spread of COVID-19 over the Christmas period, the Government announced an 8pm closing time for bars and restaurants that would commence from 20 December to 30 January.
On 21 January 2022,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
announced the easing of almost all COVID-19 restrictions, with pubs and restaurants to resume normal trading times with no social distancing or vaccine certificates requirements, while rules on the wearing of masks would remain.
Pubs
![Pandemic pints](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Pandemic_pints.jpg)
Initially, pubs and bars were permitted to remain open if they respected the
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
measures introduced on 12 March. However, difficulties in maintaining this became clear over the weekend before
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
. On 14 March,
Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Simon Harris
Simon Harris (born 17 October 1986) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael since 2024. A TD for the Wicklow constituency since 2011, he has served as a minister in the government of Ireland since 2016 and f ...
slammed "insulting" videos on social media showing packed pubs and stag and hen parties at
Temple Bar, Dublin
Temple Bar ( ga, Barra an Teampaill) is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. The area is bounded by the Liffey to the north, Dame Street to the south, Westmoreland Street to the east and Fishamble Street to t ...
. Harris acted swiftly, and—by the following morning—the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, the Licensed Vintners Association and the Irish government issued a joint call for all bars and pubs to close from midnight until 29 March at the earliest.
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Leo Varadkar
Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022, and previously from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to De ...
announced that his intention is to seek enforcement powers from the
Dáil or
Seanad if necessary. Pubs continued to open though.
Limerick County TD Niall Collins
Niall Collins (born 30 March 1973) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State for Skills and Further Education since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Limerick County constituency since 2016, and ...
stated that pubs in Limerick were opening after the official shutdown had come into effect.
Rogue pubs continued to operate into April in places such as Dublin (
7 and 11) and Cork (including for a 40th birthday party).
In July 2020, pubs and bars reopened only if they served "substantial" meals of at least €9—according to the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
and
Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland is the operating name of the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions ...
.
On 15 July, the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
postponed the reopening of pubs, bars and hotel bars that don't serve food, due to reopen on 20 July, to 10 August. On 4 August,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
announced that pubs, bars and hotel bars not serving food will remain closed.
On 8 September, the Government announced that pubs not serving food in Ireland could reopen on 21 September with strict regulations in place.
Hotels
On 29 March, the
Health Service Executive
The Health Service Executive (HSE) ( ga, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005 ...
(HSE) unveiled new facilities at Dublin's
Citywest
Citywest ( ga, Iarthar na Cathrach) is a suburban development on the southwestern periphery of Dublin, originally developed as a "business campus." It contains a large hotel, with a convention centre, a small shopping centre and a small but ex ...
hotel; this had a dual purpose, for self-isolation of individuals where needed and as an overflow stepdown facility for patients from hospitals not yet able to go back home. The first patients began to arrive on 1 April.
On 29 April, the facility's manager reported an increase in referrals during the previous ten days and that 114 people were in their care on that date, out of an admissions and discharges total of more than 200 people as of that time.
On 19 June, the
Health Service Executive
The Health Service Executive (HSE) ( ga, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005 ...
announced that the cost of renting the hotel for COVID-19 use was likely to reach €21 million. The HSE was considering whether to end the lease.
On 9 October, following a survey published by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), more than 3.3 million bednight bookings have been lost following the
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
's escalation to
Level 3 COVID-19 restrictions.
Following the reimposition of
Level 5 lockdown restrictions from 24 December (Christmas Eve) until 12 January 2021 at the earliest, hotels could remain open for food and bar services to guests only after 3 pm on Christmas Eve, and may only open to guests for essential purposes after 26 December (
St Stephen's Day
Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chr ...
).
On 28 May,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
confirmed that accommodation services including all hotels, B&Bs, self-catering and hostels could reopen from 2 June, with services including leisure facilities, indoor restaurant and bar services restricted to overnight guests/residents only.
Stimulus packages
July Jobs Stimulus
On 23 July, the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
launched a €7.4 billion
July Jobs Stimulus
The July Jobs Stimulus is a €7.4 billion Stimulus (economics), stimulus package announced by the Government of Ireland on 23 July 2020 in response to the Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, economic impact ...
package of 50 measures to boost economic recovery and get people back to work. The measures include the extension of the
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (referred to as the PUP) was a government emergency aid program in the Republic of Ireland that provided monetary relief to those who face unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, whether formerly emp ...
to April 2021, and the replacement of the
Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme
The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (COVID-19) Act 2020 ( Act No. 2 of 2020; previously the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Bill 2020, Bill No. 4 of 2020) was an Act of the Oireach ...
to the
Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme from September 2020 and will run until April 2021. The spending primarily includes €115 million for active travel, public transport and renewal of transport infrastructure, €75 million for
primary and secondary schools to carry out reconfiguration works necessary to support schools' reopening in late August and September 2020 and €112 million in employment services and supports to deliver 47,500 training and apprenticeship places and a €450 million package of business supports including a €250 million Restart Grant to provide direct grant aid to businesses with up to 250 employees to help them with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers.
On 3 September, as part of the July Jobs Stimulus,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
,
Minister for Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
Paschal Donohoe
Paschal Donohoe (born 19 September 1974) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform since December 2022 and President of the Eurogroup since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the ...
and
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media ( ga, An tAire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán) is a senior minister (government), minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Depart ...
Catherine Martin launched the
Stay and Spend Scheme to help drive sales in the hospitality sector during the off-season which has been negatively impacted as a result of COVID-19, which will run from 1 October 2020 to 30 April 2021.
On 7 September, as part of the July Jobs Stimulus,
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...
and
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment ( ga, An tAire Fiontar, Trádála agus Fostaíochta) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
The current Minister for Ent ...
Leo Varadkar
Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022, and previously from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to De ...
, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe,
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform ( ga, An tAire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The current Minister for Public ...
Michael McGrath and
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( ga, An tAire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Historically, the agriculture portfol ...
Charlie McConalogue
Charlie McConalogue (born 29 October 1977) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine since September 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency since the 2016 g ...
opened the new €2 billion
COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme to provide Irish businesses, including those in the farming and fishing sectors, with access to low cost loans as they respond to the
impacts of COVID-19.
Economic Recovery Plan 2021
The
Economic Recovery Plan 2021
The Economic Recovery Plan 2021 is a €3.5 billion stimulus package announced by the Government of Ireland on 1 June 2021 to achieve rapid job creation and economic growth after the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan sets out a new phase of supports, ...
is a €3.5 billion
stimulus package announced by the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
on 1 June 2021 to achieve rapid job creation and economic growth after the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The plan sets out a new phase of supports, investment and policies for a new stage of economic recovery and renewal, with new measures for businesses and affected sectors, and details for existing emergency pandemic financial supports including the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme,
Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and
Pandemic Unemployment Payment, giving certainty to businesses and employees and for those who need it most.
Retail and services
Panic buying
Panic buying (alternatively hyphenated as panic-buying; also known as panic purchasing) occurs when consumers buy unusually large amounts of a product in anticipation of, or after, a disaster or perceived disaster, or in anticipation of a large ...
of hand sanitisers and face masks ensued as fear of the pandemic spread. Supermarkets introduced
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
measures and additional cleaning and disinfecting within stores.
SuperValu announced
Plexiglass
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, ...
would be distributed to its outlets nationwide; even small shops had
Perspex
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite ...
protective screens placed in front of their cashier desks. Supermarkets had their busiest period in history, beating the previous Christmas record because of customers stockpiling food before the government
stay-at-home order
A stay-at-home order, safer-at-home order, movement control order (more common in Southeast Asia), or lockdown restrictions (in the United Kingdom) – also referred to by loose use of the terms (self-) quarantine, (self-) isolation, or lockdow ...
. Kantar reported sales of hand soap increased by 300% and
facial tissue
Facial tissue and paper handkerchief refers to a class of soft, absorbent, disposable papers that are suitable for use on the face. They are disposable alternatives for cloth handkerchiefs. The terms are commonly used to refer to the type of pap ...
s increased by 140% in the four weeks approaching 22 March. Kantar figures reported on 5 May stated that people were spending €118 more on average each month, with
Super Valu outselling
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores is an Irish multinational retail chain that primarily sells food, clothes and household wares.
In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain also has operations in Spain, and formerly in England and Scotland. The fo ...
in April, and that the previous three months had a 17.2% increase in supermarket spending on the same period in 2019, with sales of
ready meals declining and sales of flour and sugar up by 52% and 43% respectively.
Major departments stores shut, including
McElhinney's
McElhinney's is a 3-storey fifteen-department store located in Ballybofey, County Donegal. It is the largest department store in Ireland outside Dublin. It has been named National Retail Store of the Year and Best Superstore at the Retail Excelle ...
on Sunday 13 March, while
Brown Thomas
Brown Thomas & Company Limited is a chain of five Irish department stores, located in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Dundrum Town Centre. Part of the Selfridges Group, Brown Thomas is an upmarket chain, akin to Britain's Selfridges stores ...
and
Arnotts Arnotts can refer to;
* Arnott's Biscuits, an Australian biscuit and salted snack food company
* Arnotts (Ireland), a department store in Dublin, Ireland
* Arnotts (Scotland)
Arnotts was a department store in Glasgow, Scotland. It became part o ...
closed on the evening of 18 March. The clothing retailer Penneys (which trades internationally as
Primark
Primark Stores Limited (; trading as Penneys in the Republic of Ireland) is an Irish multinational fast fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. It has stores across Europe and in the United States. The Penneys brand is not u ...
) followed suit the same evening.
![Queue at Irish grocery store during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Queue_at_Irish_grocery_store_during_the_2020_coronavirus_pandemic.jpg)
Italian confectioner
Ferrero SpA
Ferrero SpA (), more commonly known as Ferrero Group or simply Ferrero, is an Italian multinational company with headquarters in Alba, Italy. manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products, and the second biggest chocolate producer ...
justified its decision to continue making
Tic Tac
Tic Tac (stylized as "tic tac") is a brand of small, hard mint manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero. They were first produced in 1969 and are now available in a variety of flavours in over 100 countries.
Tic Tacs are usually sold in smal ...
s in the southern city of
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
during the nationwide shutdown by releasing a statement that said: "Food... as per the guidelines published by the Irish Government, falls under the critical sectors that should be maintained during the current crisis".
Mick Barry, the local
TD, disputed this, and described it as "a joke to say that they are involved in essential food production. No one is going to starve if there's a shortage of Tic Tacs for a couple of weeks".
![Supermarket_social_distancing_signs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Supermarket_social_distancing_signs.jpg)
On 7 April, figures from the IHS Markit Dublin Purchasing Managers index confirmed that business growth in Dublin stagnated in the first quarter of 2020, meaning that the continuous output growth that Dublin had experienced for seven consecutive years ended.
On 9 April,
Debenhams
Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...
announced it would place its Irish stores into
liquidation
Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end in Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and many other countries. The assets and property of the company are redistrib ...
. In mid-April, the
High Court appointed provisional
liquidators to the Irish branches of British retail chains Oasis and
Warehouse
A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...
. The High Court did likewise for
Laura Ashley
Laura Ashley (née Mountney; 7 September 1925 – 17 September 1985) was a Welsh fashion designer and businesswoman. She originally made furnishing materials in the 1950s, expanding the business into clothing design and manufacture in the 1960s ...
's five outlets. On 11 May, the High Court ordered that the Irish branches of Oasis and Warehouse were
insolvent
In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company (debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet inso ...
and could be
wound up
Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end in Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and many other countries. The assets and property of the company are redistrib ...
.
![Ersatz protection for employees deployed in a grocery store during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Ersatz_protection_for_employees_deployed_in_a_grocery_store_during_the_2020_coronavirus_pandemic.jpg)
The emergence of grass from between the cobbles of
Grafton Street
Grafton Street () is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city centre (the other being Henry Street). It runs from St Stephen's Green in the south (at the highest point of the street) to College Green in the north (the lowest p ...
in Dublin was attributed to the absence of pedestrians. Film footage of a fox browsing the shop doorways of
Brown Thomas
Brown Thomas & Company Limited is a chain of five Irish department stores, located in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Dundrum Town Centre. Part of the Selfridges Group, Brown Thomas is an upmarket chain, akin to Britain's Selfridges stores ...
before dashing across the street to peep into the (shut, yet advertised as "open")
Foodhall of the British retailer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
circulated on social media. A
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
from
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
reckoned the fox (named Sam, sex uncertain) to be about 11 months of age, whose parents had ejected it from a
den
Den may refer to:
* Den (room), a small room in a house
* Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth
Media and entertainment
* ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler
* Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita' ...
in
Merrion Square
Merrion Square () is a Georgian garden square on the southside of Dublin city centre.
History
The square was laid out in 1752 by the estate of Viscount FitzWilliam and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. The demand for ...
, while a
University College Dublin
University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
(UCD) zoologist reckoned the fox was fully grown and healthy and that the presence of foxes in daylight could be attrobuted to the restrictions then in force; Sam, who had a
mangy tail, was also seen roaming around others parts of Dublin city centre, including
Temple Bar, as well as at
Leinster House
Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, ...
during
government formation talks.
Major retail stores including department and clothing stores reopened from 8 June—following the government's roadmap of easing COVID-19 restrictions. By early-June, Penneys, McElhinney's, Brown Thomas and Arnotts reopened while retail outlets in shopping centres were not allowed to reopen and remained closed until 15 June.
Bookshop
Bookselling is the commercial trading of books which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, bookpeople, bookmen, or bookwomen. The founding of librar ...
s also made alterations to how they did business, and often with contrasting approaches;
Hodges Figgis
Hodges Figgis is a bookshop located on Dawson Street in Dublin. Founded in 1768, it was moved and expanded numerous times until 1992, when it settled into its current location at 56-58 Dawson Street. It is given a passing mention in James Joyce ...
in Dublin removed tables, while
Charlie Byrne's Bookshop
Charlie Byrne's is a bookshop located in the Cornstore Mall on Middle Street in Galway, close to Shop Street and the Augustinian Church. Considered a "cultural reference point" for Galwegians and visitors alike, it houses more than 100,000 new an ...
in Galway used its large tables as "natural separators".
On 15 July,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
announced that
face coverings must be worn in all shops and shopping centres from 20 July. On 10 August, Martin made the wearing of face coverings mandatory in all shops, shopping centres, libraries, cinemas, museums, nail salons, hairdressers, dry cleaners, betting stores, tattooists and travel agents, with fines of up to €2,500 or a prison sentence of six months to people who do not comply.
On 9 October, a business group of 2,500 businesses in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
city centre urged consumers to start their
Christmas shopping
The economics of Christmas are significant because Christmas is typically a high-volume selling season for goods suppliers around the world. Sales increase dramatically as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate. In the ...
early to prevent large queues in December.
All non-essential businesses and services closed and all public and private gatherings of any number of people was banned again on 21 October following the
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
's announcement to move the entire country to
Level 5 lockdown restrictions for six weeks until 1 December.
On 23 October, it was announced that a planned expansion of
The Square (a shopping centre in
Tallaght
)
, image_skyline = TallaghtDublinD24.jpg
, image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
, pushpin_map = Dublin#Ireland
, pushpin_label_position = left
, ...
) had been postponed, with management Sigma Retail Partners blaming the pandemic.
On 27 November, the Government agreed the approach for easing restrictions, including a phased move to
Level 3 restrictions nationally from midnight on Tuesday 1 December, with a number of exceptions in place for the Christmas period from 18 December.
On 1 December, all non-essential retail shops, hair and beauty providers, gyms and leisure centres, cinemas, museums and galleries reopened after six weeks of closure.
A third wave of COVID-19 arrived in Ireland after restrictions eased from 1 December. The Government delayed the introduction of restrictions and it was only after significant mixing had taken place in gastropubs and restaurants that on 24 December (Christmas Eve),
Level 5 lockdown restrictions were reimposed nationwide with a number of adjustments, including keeping all non-essential retail shops open, but the postponement of all January sale events. However, all services—including hair and beauty providers—had to close again.
While all non-essential retail were forced to close once again on 31 December (New Year's Eve), following the government's decision to reimpose full
Level 5 lockdown restrictions nationwide in a bid to decelerate the rapid increase in COVID-19 infections, all click-and-collect services for non-essential retail were no longer allowed to be used from 6 January 2021.
On 26 January, the Government made the wearing of face coverings in all banks, credit unions and post offices mandatory.
On 28 January, former employees of Arcadia Group's Irish outlets such as Topshop and Wallis were told they would be made permanently redundant.
On 17 May, all non-essential retail reopened for the first time in over four months after the Level 5 lockdown.
Transport and travel
Aviation
On 14 March—following the
Irish government's decision to
lockdown the country in a bid to decelerate the rapid spread of the virus after its arrival on the island—Aer Lingus waived change fees on flights booked for March, April and May, while Ryanair waived change fees on flights booked until the end of March. By April,
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish language, Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (Irish company), DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinsto ...
was only running
repatriation
Repatriation is the process of returning a thing or a person to its country of origin or citizenship. The term may refer to non-human entities, such as converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country, as well as to the pro ...
flights, or those with vital supplies (a reduction of more than 95% from the same week in 2019);
Cork Airport
Cork Airport ( ga, Aerfort Chorcaí, ) is the second-largest of the three principal international airports in Ireland, after Dublin and ahead of Shannon. It is located in Cork City, south of the city centre in an area known as Farmers Cross ...
was reduced to three return flights each day, all of which went to and from London, the first of which left at 4 pm and the last returning at 7:30 pm;
Ireland West Airport
Ireland West Airport ( ga, Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Mhuire), officially known as Ireland West Airport Knock ( ga, Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Chnoc Mhuire), is an international airport south-west of Charlestown, County Mayo, Charlestown, County ...
had no commercial flights and both daily flights to and from
Kerry Airport
Kerry Airport ( gle, Aerfort Chiarraí; ), often called Farranfore Airport, is an international airport in Farranfore, County Kerry, Ireland. It is north of the Ring of Kerry and southeast of the county's capital Tralee. Passenger services ar ...
went to Dublin.
The
High Court appointed an interim
examiner
Examiner or The Examiner may refer to:
Occupations
* Bank examiner, a kind of auditor
* Examiner (Roman Catholicism), a type of office in the Roman Catholic Church
* Examinership, a concept in Irish law
* Medical examiner
* Patent examiner
* Tr ...
to
CityJet
CityJet is an Irish regional airline with headquarters in Swords, Dublin. It was founded in 1992 and has gone through a series of corporate structures. Air France sold CityJet to ''Intro Aviation'' in May 2014; in March 2016 the airline was b ...
in mid-April.
As of early April—and unlike airports in east Asia—passengers on the few flights still arriving in Ireland were not having their temperatures checked for symptoms of the virus.
Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Simon Harris
Simon Harris (born 17 October 1986) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael since 2024. A TD for the Wicklow constituency since 2011, he has served as a minister in the government of Ireland since 2016 and f ...
told the Dáil on 23 April that arrivals at an airport would be obliged to fill out a form stating their place of residence for the course of their stay in the country.
On 12 May, it was revealed that Gardaí would be given the power to check passengers arriving in Ireland from overseas under new COVID-19 restrictions being considered by the Government. Gardaí would be permitted to call to the addresses of passengers to ensure their adherence to self-isolation for two weeks upon arrival in Ireland.
On 20 December, the Government agreed to impose a 48-hour suspension on flights from the United Kingdom from midnight following fears over the spread of a new strain of COVID-19, while ferries will be limited to freight travel.
On 22 December, the
Department of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the
Department of Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...
, announced that travel restrictions from the United Kingdom would remain in place until 31 December, following fears over the spread of a new strain of COVID-19.
On 6 January 2021, the Government announced that travel restrictions from the United Kingdom would remain in place until 9 January when the requirement for all passengers from the UK and South Africa to have a negative
PCR test
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies (complete or partial) of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it (or a part of it) t ...
that they acquired within 72 hours of travelling to be in place.
On 12 January, the Government agreed that all passengers arriving into Ireland would need a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before departure from Saturday 16 January.
On 1 February,
Europol warned travellers to watch for organised crime gangs selling fake negative COVID-19 certificates at airports. On the same day, latest figures showed that in the last 4 days of January, Gardaí fined 280 people at
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish language, Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (Irish company), DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinsto ...
for leaving the country for non-essential travel.
On 10 February,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
announced that fines for non-essential travel abroad would be increased from €500 to €2,000, after a request was made to
Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Stephen Donnelly
Stephen Donnelly (born 14 December 1975) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Health since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency since 2011.
On his election to Dáil Éireann, Do ...
to sign off on the increase.
On 15 June, the Government agreed to increase the self-isolation period for travellers arriving in Ireland from Britain from 5 to 10 days for those who are not fully vaccinated amid
Delta variant
The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The ...
concerns.
On 19 July, Ireland joined the rest of the EU in implementing the
Digital COVID-19 Certificate as travel restrictions into and out of the country eased.
On 5 January 2022, the Government agreed to remove the requirement for air passengers entering the country to have a negative COVID-19 test. On 6 January, people who received a third or booster vaccine dose began receiving an updated Digital COVID Certificate.
Repatriation efforts
The virus prompted the "biggest repatriation ever in the history of the State", according to
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...
and
Minister for Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between coun ...
Simon Coveney
Simon Coveney (born 16 June 1972) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment since December 2022 and Deputy Leader of Fine Gael since 2017. He previously served as Minister for Foreign Affai ...
, involving the rescue of citizens stranded in such foreign lands as Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Vietnam.
On 22 March, Coveney announced the planned repatriation, by
charter flight
Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline).
Regulation
Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flights r ...
, of Irish citizens from
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
. On 30 March, the repatriation flight touched down at Dublin Airport.
One man repatriated from Canada through London on 23 March travelled from Dublin Airport to his home in
County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...
in his father's cattle
trailer as a precaution; word of the trip spread internationally to both
hemispheres.
On 15 May, it was reported that the Ireland's Call initiative, which had been established to repatriate Irish healthcare workers stranded in foreign lands, would cease after 21 nurses were repatriated from the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
the following Wednesday. In addition to delivering PPE and housing 43 frontline workers, the volunteer initiative raised over €90,000 and repatriated 67 healthcare workers from 19 countries, funding 154 flights.
Passenger locator form
On 22 May, Minister for Health Simon Harris announced that from 28 May, all passengers arriving into the country would be legally required to complete a
passenger locator form
A passenger locator form (PLF) is a form used by some countries to obtain information about incoming passengers prior to international travel. It typically requests contact, journey, and stay details.
It may take the form of a physical document, or ...
. He also announced that it would be an offence not to fill in a passenger location form, with fines of up to €2,500 or a potential prison sentence.
On 22 August,
Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Stephen Donnelly
Stephen Donnelly (born 14 December 1975) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Health since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency since 2011.
On his election to Dáil Éireann, Do ...
confirmed that the passenger locator form would move to an online process on Wednesday 26 August.
Green list
A green list for safe travel was due to be published by the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
on 20 July, but was postponed due to ongoing negotiations in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, where
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
was attending an
EU summit
This is a list of meetings of the European Council (informally referred to as EU summits); the meetings of the European Council, an institution of the European Union (EU) comprising heads of state or government of EU member states. They start ...
.
On 21 July, following a
Cabinet meeting
A cabinet is a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the executive branch's top leaders. Members of a cabinet are usually called cabinet ministers or secretaries. The function of a cabinet varies: in some countries ...
at
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin.
Until 1922 it was the se ...
, the
Government of Ireland
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
agreed to add 15 countries to the green list from which people could travel to without having to restrict their movements for 14 days upon arriving in Ireland, to be reviewed on a fortnightly basis. The countries were:
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, Italy,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
,
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
,
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
,
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
,
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
,
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
,
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
and
San Marino
San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
.
On 4 August, following the postponement of phase four of easing COVID-19 restrictions—due to have taken place on 10 August—
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
announced the removal of five countries on the green list. The countries removed were:
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
,
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
,
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
and
San Marino
San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
.
On 17 September, the
Department of Foreign Affairs added Germany and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
to the government's travel green list, while seven countries were removed. The countries removed were: Italy,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
,
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
and
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
.
On 24 September, the Department of Foreign Affairs updated the government's travel green list which will come into effect from 28 September, adding
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
and removing four countries from the list. The countries removed were: Germany,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
,
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
and
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
.
On 8 October, after a review on the basis of data from the
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is an agency of the European Union (EU) whose mission is to strengthen Europe's defences against infectious diseases. It covers a wide spectrum of activities, such as: surveillance, e ...
(ECDC), the
Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that from 12 October, there will be no countries on the Government's travel green list.
The government's green list for safe travel was abolished on 8 November after being replaced by the EU's traffic light system for air travel that came into operation in Ireland from midnight.
EU traffic light system for international travel
On 22 October, the Government agreed to align Ireland with the new European 'traffic light' system to coordinate international COVID-19 travel restrictions coming into force on Sunday 8 November.
On 8 November, the EU's traffic light system for air travel came into operation in Ireland from midnight, with the
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is an agency of the European Union (EU) whose mission is to strengthen Europe's defences against infectious diseases. It covers a wide spectrum of activities, such as: surveillance, e ...
(ECDC) publishing a three-stage colour system map every week to indicate the level of risk in each area of the EU.
On 19 November, the ECDC moved Ireland from 'red' to 'orange' on the EU traffic light map for international travel after COVID-19 figures improved. However, after a third wave of COVID-19 arrived in the country in late December 2020, on 29 January 2021, the ECDC moved Ireland from 'orange' to 'dark red' on the EU traffic light map for international travel.
List of "high-risk" countries for international travel
A list of "high risk" countries for international travel was published by the Government on 26 January 2021, which included Brazil and South Africa. All people travelling into Ireland from the countries on the list would be required to quarantine at a hotel for a period of 14 days.
The list was abolished on 25 September following the end of Ireland's mandatory hotel quarantine system, with the remaining six countries—
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and Peru—removed.
Mandatory hotel quarantine
![Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Crowne_Plaza_Hotel%2C_Blanchardstown_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1741961.jpg)
On 7 March, President
Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...
signed into law the legislation to bring in mandatory hotel quarantine for certain passengers entering the country from high-risk countries.
On 23 March, the booking portal for mandatory hotel quarantine in Ireland opened for those arriving into the country from Friday 26 March, with a 12-night stay for passengers arriving from high risk countries costing €1,875 each. On 26 March at 4 am, Ireland's mandatory hotel quarantine system for all passengers arriving into the country from high-risk countries came into force.
On 27 March, one day after mandatory hotel quarantine began in Ireland, Gardaí began an investigation after three people absconded from a mandatory hotel quarantine facility near
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish language, Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (Irish company), DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinsto ...
while on a smoking break outside under supervision, with one person located. One day after the incident on 28 March, a second person was located, while a search for the third male continued.
On 30 March, the
Health Service Executive
The Health Service Executive (HSE) ( ga, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005 ...
(HSE) confirmed that three passengers staying in mandatory hotel quarantine tested positive for COVID-19.
On 2 April, two women in their 30s were arrested and charged after refusing to enter mandatory hotel quarantine upon arrival in
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish language, Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (Irish company), DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinsto ...
from
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
. On 4 April, the
High Court made orders allowing two women who refused to enter mandatory hotel quarantine after arriving into Dublin Airport following their return from a trip to Dubai for cosmetic procedures to leave
Mountjoy Women's Prison and continue to quarantine at a designated hotel.
On 6 April, three women who absconded from a mandatory hotel quarantine facility in Dublin were found by Gardaí almost 200 km away near
Loughrea
Loughrea ( ; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains, and the lake from which it takes its name. The town's cathedral, St Brendan's, dominates the town's skyline ...
, County Galway.
On 8 April, latest figures from the HSE showed that 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been detected among arrivals into Ireland who were in mandatory hotel quarantine.
On 11 April, an Irish man and an
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
woman who challenged their detention in mandatory hotel quarantine and claimed they had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were released pending court hearings.
On 16 April, the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
urged the Government to amend or possibly scrap mandatory hotel quarantine for EU citizens and sought clarifications as to why a number of
EU member states
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
were subject to the rules.
On 27 July, Gardaí began a major investigation after a female member of the
Defence Forces The phrase Defence Force(s) (or Defense Force(s) in US English - see spelling differences) is in the title of the armed forces of certain countries and territories.
Defence forces
* Ambazonia Defence Forces
*Artsakh Defence Army
* Australian Defen ...
was allegedly raped by a male colleague in a mandatory quarantine hotel facility in Dublin.
On 25 September, the mandatory hotel quarantine system ended immediately following an announcement by
Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Stephen Donnelly
Stephen Donnelly (born 14 December 1975) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Health since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency since 2011.
On his election to Dáil Éireann, Do ...
, with all countries removed from the list of "high-risk" countries for international travel.
On 30 November, the Government announced that legislation allowing for the re-establishment of mandatory hotel quarantine would be introduced, under additional measures in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Public transport
![Bus Éireann social distancing signs on a bus in October 2020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Bus_%C3%89ireann_social_distancing_signs_on_a_bus_in_October_2020.jpg)
On 27 March 2020, the
National Transport Authority announced that operators of public transport services were to move to a new schedule of services on a phased basis from 30 March. Revised timetables for
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity, Commuter, DART and fr ...
came into effect on 30 March, while those for
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann.
...
,
Go-Ahead Ireland
Go-Ahead Transport Services (Dublin) Limited, known as Go-Ahead Ireland is a bus operator in Dublin that commenced trading in September 2018. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.
History
With the aim of improving efficiency, in 2015 the ...
and
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...
, came into effect on 1 April. Under the revised timetables, services ran at approximately 80% of current levels. Many public transport timetables returned to normal by 29 June, but
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
requirements meant that overall passenger capacity remained restricted. Dublin Bus Nitelink services were intermittently paused between March 2020 and January 2022.
On 10 July, the
Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Stephen Donnelly
Stephen Donnelly (born 14 December 1975) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Health since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency since 2011.
On his election to Dáil Éireann, Do ...
signed regulations to make the wearing of
face coverings mandatory on public transport, which came into effect on 13 July. Those who refused to comply to regulations could face fines of up to €2,500 and a possible jail sentence of six months. Figures from the
National Transport Authority showed levels of compliance of between 70% and 95% on buses, trains and trams.
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...
reported a compliance rate of 95% on its services,
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity, Commuter, DART and fr ...
said it was 90%,
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann.
...
reported a rate of about 80% and
Luas
Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lin ...
said it was between 75% and 80%.
On 21 July, the
Department of Health
A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...
announced that
face shield
A face shield, an item of personal protective equipment (PPE), aims to protect the wearer's entire face (or part of it) from hazards such as flying objects and road debris, chemical splashes (in laboratories or in industry), or potentially ...
s would be accepted as an alternative to a
face covering on public transport.
On 14 January 2021, the
National Transport Authority announced that reduced timetables for bus operators in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
—including
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann.
...
and
Go-Ahead Ireland
Go-Ahead Transport Services (Dublin) Limited, known as Go-Ahead Ireland is a bus operator in Dublin that commenced trading in September 2018. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.
History
With the aim of improving efficiency, in 2015 the ...
—would recommence from Monday 18 January and would run at 80% capacity.
Under the Government's plan for easing most COVID-19 restrictions by 22 October, public transport began operating at 100% capacity across the country from 1 September. On the 28 February 2022, the legal requirement to wear face coverings ended on public transport moving to a recommendation as opposed to a requirement.
It meant in 2020 and 2021 the reopening of all closed railway line along the island of Ireland had to be postponed.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
2020 in the Republic of Ireland
Economy of the Republic of Ireland
Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland