- 1. Your guide to the upcoming changes
- 2. Schools and higher and adult education
- 3. Childcare
- 4. Construction
- 5. Retail and services (for example: hairdressers, beauticians, barbers)
- 6. Social and family gatherings
- 7. Weddings
- 8. Organised indoor gatherings
- 9. Organised outdoor gatherings
- 10. Exercise and sporting events
- 11. Religious services
- 12. Attendance at funerals (limited to 10)
- 13. Museums, galleries and other cultural attractions
- 14. Bars, cafes and restaurants (including hotel restaurants and bars)
- 15. Wet pubs
- 16. Hotels and accommodation
- 17. Work
- 18. Travel restrictions
- 19. Outdoor playgrounds, play areas and parks
- 20. Transport
- 21. Over 70 and medically vulnerable individuals
- 22. Visiting long-term residential care facilities (nursing and care homes)
All measures in Level 5 will stay in place until at least 5 April 2021.
| 1 March | Special schools at 100% capacity |
| Junior and senior infants, 1st and 2nd class to return to school | |
| Final year Leaving Certificate classes to return to school | |
| 8 March | Resumption of the ECCE programme and return to school of ECCE-age children |
| 15 March | 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class at primary level |
| 5th year post-primary students to return to school | |
| 29 March | Early learning and care, and school-age childcare services to reopen |
| 12 April | 1st to 4th years post-primary return to school |
| Pandemic Unemployment Payment | Extended to 30 June 2021 |
| Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme | Extended to 30 June 2021 |
| COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit | Extended to 30 June 2021 |
| Covid Restrictions Support Scheme | Extended to 30 June 2021 |
| Suspension of redundancy provisions | Extended to 30 June 2021 |
| Commercial rates waiver | Extended to 30 June 2021 |
| Managing new variants | New variants will be monitored carefully as schools and childcare reopen |
| Controlling the virus | Bringing the virus numbers down will give us more options |
| Securing vaccine supply | We are working with the EU to secure Ireland's vaccine supply |
| Decreasing hospitalisations | We must reduce the pressure on our health system and frontline workers |
At Level 5, the public health risk means that you will be asked to stay at home, except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, or to take exercise within 5km of home. There will be no gatherings other than small numbers at funerals and weddings.
The phased return of in-school education and childcare services will be implemented as follows:
1 March 2021:
- special schools to resume at 100% capacity
- the first four classes at primary level, that is, Junior and Senior infants, First and Second class to return to in-school education
- final year Leaving Certificate classes to return to in-school education
8 March 2021:
- resumption of the ECCE Programme and return of ECCE-age children
15 March 2021:
- targeted return of 3rd; 4th; 5th and 6th class at primary level. 5th years at post-primary level
29 March 2021:
- resumption of all other early learning and childcare services
12 April 2021 onwards (post Easter Holidays):
- reopening for 1st to 4th years at post-primary
Higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online.
The staggered resumption of early learning and childcare services will take place over the following phases:
- resumption of the ECCE programme and return of ECCE-age children from 8 March
- resumption of all other early learning and childcare services from 29 March
- the resumption of the ECCE programme from 8 March broadly aligns with the resumption of onsite primary schooling. It is also in line with expectation among providers and offers sufficient time for providers to prepare to reopen
Construction is closed, with the following exceptions:
- essential health and related projects including those relevant to preventing, limiting, minimising or slowing the spread of COVID-19
- social housing projects, including voids, designated as essential sites by Local Authorities based on set criteria
- housing adaptation grants where the homeowner is agreeable to adaptions being undertaken in their home
- repair, maintenance and construction of critical transport and utility infrastructure
- education facilities sites designated as essential by Department of Education
- supply and delivery of essential or emergency maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, oil, plumbing, glazing and roofing services) on an emergency call-out basis
- certain large construction projects in the exporting / FDI sector based on set criteria
- in relation to private homes that are practically complete and scheduled for habitation by 31 January 2021, including where snagging, and essential remediation work, such as pyrite works is nearing completion, works should continue to enable homeowners access their homes. Heating, water, broadband and electricity installation should also continue to enable homes be occupied
- existing tenancy protections mean that a tenant cannot be evicted from their home during the period of the 5km travel restrictions. To enable a limited functioning of the housing and residential tenancy market during this time it has also been agreed that online viewings will be the default approach to viewing property for rental or sale, with a physical viewing only permissible at the point where a tenancy agreement is being entered into or where a contract for sale has been drawn up. This approach balances the need to avoid social interaction with the need to provide a pathway to tenancy and home ownership for those who need it
All retail is closed except for essential retail.
All non-essential services are closed.
Click and collect
Click and collect from non-essential retail outlets should be discontinued with immediate effect.
Existing orders may be collected.
Click and deliver will continue to be permitted.
In your home or garden
No visitors are permitted in private homes or gardens except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, or as part of a support bubble.
Other settings outside your home or garden
No social or family gatherings should take place in other settings.
Up to 6 guests are permitted.
These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager.
For example: business, training events, conferences, events in theatres and cinemas or other arts events (excluding sport).
No organised indoor gatherings should take place.
These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager. For example: outdoor arts events, training events.
No organised outdoor gatherings should take place.
Training
People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise.
No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
Outdoor golf and tennis are not permitted.
Individual training only. No exercise or dance classes. No indoor or outdoor gatherings involving “individual training” except for professional and elite sports.
Matches and events
Professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events only are permitted to continue behind closed doors.
No other matches or events are to take place.
Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools
Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools are closed.
Services will be held online.
Places of worship remain open for private prayer.
Priority has to be given to families themselves in attending funerals, whether this is in the homes of the deceased or in the Funeral Home.
Likewise attendance in churches and graveyards is restricted to families.
In this third wave we now sadly see a significant increase in the numbers of funerals. Concerns are being raised regarding the dangers of dropping our guard at funerals when we are at this critical time in trying to level off the deadly curve. Reports of significant numbers of people congregating in homes of bereaved persons and in funeral homes, or at churches and graveyards before or after services, are very concerning.
The inclement weather we have at this time of year can result in those lining funeral routes at times congregating in doorways of churches and other areas along the route to seek shelter. Every contact increases the risk of transmission of this highly contagious virus. Those wishing to express their condolence should do so through social media, online websites, text or card.
It is vital, despite our natural emotions and desire to be close to and hug other people, to respect the situation we find ourselves in as we try to convey our sympathies to bereaved families. It is important to remember our objective – to reduce the spread of the virus - and that we should all do what is right, even if it is different and difficult.
All venues closed.
Online services available.
Take away food and delivery only.
Closed.
Nightclubs, discos, casinos
Nightclubs, discos and casinos will remain closed.
Open only for essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
Work from home unless essential for work, which is an essential health, social care or other essential service and cannot be done from home.
Domestic
People are required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be permitted to take exercise within 5km of home.
You can travel for the following reasons:
- travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service
- teachers, SNAs and other school staff will be allowed to travel to school to facilitate distance learning
- to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
- travel to attend disability day services
- travel to attend a court
- for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
- for food shopping
- for farming purposes (food production or care of animals)
- to attend a wedding or funeral
- to visit a grave
International
Open with protective measures in place.
Walk or cycle where possible.
Avoid public transport - except for essential workers and essential purposes only.
Public transport capacity will be restricted to 25%.
Those aged over 70 years and over and the medically vulnerable should exercise judgement regarding the extent to which they engage with others and in activities outside home.
Suspended, aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.
