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LAST UPDATE | 24 Nov 2020
A PHASED LIFTING of the Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions during December is expected to be announced this week.
There was a brief discussion of the planned lifting at today’s Cabinet meeting. The country will be moving back to Level 3 restrictions, with some modifications, come next Wednesday.
While there had been speculation that the public announcement might be made on Thursday, so as not to clash with the Late Late Toy Show, the working plan as of now is the government is planning to make details known on Friday.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) will meet tomorrow, with government waiting to see the final data before making a final call on the level of restrictions over the Christmas period.
The current restrictions are due to last until a minute after midnight on 2 December, with the first phase of reopening seeing non-essential retail due to open on that date, along with hairdressers, barbers and gyms.
It is understood that retailers will also be given the green light to extend opening hours.
While such a move usually requires planning permission, it is believed local authorities have been doing a lot of work with businesses to facilitate the longer opening hours.
Under the first phase of reopening, sports such as tennis and golf will also restart next week.
Travel
Inter-county travel will be restricted until later in December, but the 5km guidance will be lifted in the earlier phase.
The advised ban on household visits advice may not be lifted next week, but will likely remain in place until later in December.
In terms of restrictions on household visits, it is believed they could be lifted for Christmas week, with the focus more on personal choice and responsibility, rather than rigid recommendations on numbers at gatherings.
The public will be asked to limit mingling to perhaps one main gathering during the Christmas period.
Independent TD Richard O'Donoghue is arguing for the opening of the hospitality sector, says over Christmas 'people will meet officially or unofficially' pic.twitter.com/AMrtykqWRC
— Rónán Duffy (@ronanduffy_) November 24, 2020
The main battleground for the government is whether pubs and restaurants will reopen for December.
There is doubt in government circles that wet pubs will be given the green light to open their doors.
While no final decisions have been made yet, it is understood that in order to allow restaurants and pubs that serve food to open, one option under consideration is delaying their reopening by one week from 1 December.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said all sectors will be given advance warning ahead of reopening. He said the government has been using data analytics, in conjunction with NPHET, to make its decisions.
“Data will inform next steps,” said Martin, adding: “It is not guesswork.”
Some of the measures due to be announced “will be palatable, some of it will not”, he said. The Taoiseach said Ireland is the second best in Europe in terms of keeping the virus down. “Will someone acknowledge that?” he asked.
Martin said there will be risks as we move into the Christmas period, but “it is how we mitigate those risks” that matters.
Loss in revenue of up to €270 million
Hotels and guesthouses across the country are facing a loss in revenue of up to €270 million over the Christmas period due to government restrictions, the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has said.
Commenting on the fact that people may not be allowed to travel outside their county for much of December, Tim Fenn, chief executive of the IHF, said that this will have a devastating impact on hotels throughout the country, severely limiting their ability to trade.
“It is clear that December and Christmas will be very different this year. But the government must take a more balanced approach to allowing people travel outside their county to visit family.
“Hotels can be an important part of the solution in facilitating this by providing very safe, highly-controlled, spacious environments for people stay independent of the home setting. We have a proven safety record and urge the Government to recognise the role we can play in ensuring a safer Christmas.”
Fenn added that the next few weeks of trading will be “absolutely vital to hotels in terms of sustaining them during the first few months of next year, when business levels will be dramatically lower”.
With reporting by Órla Ryan
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And now, lets get onto the important stuff… the lotto. The last lotto I monitored for integrity was very interesting, because the people who ran the lotto, actually won it! So it’s not unusual for that to happen, now and again
@Dan The Man: listen Dan most readers do not know but you are well known for pulling your own name from the drum of the local gaa draw the two times you were asked to officiate
@Dan The Man: and the guy that won it didn’t know he’d won it cause he was holding the ticket upside down!! Number 11 I think, was the winning number!!
@Shane Doyle: the dirty dog
It might make for an awkward TV viewing experience, but maintaining public faith in the integrity of all the draws, would be better served by continuing the live broadcast with any technical difficulties included.
Bertie Ahern won it
@Mary Toilet: RTE CFO won it
@Dman: YAWN…….
@Mojo Jubjub: Yawn Yawn!!
@Dman: Are you all out of original ideas this morning?
@Patrick MC Dermott: I am. Please don’t hold it against me. I’m really sound once you get to know me.
@Mary Toilet: He did the lotto in the bookies, won a few 5 number accumulators, clever guy, hid the cash under the strawberry patch, got paid in cash, bought shares in ‘Meanies’ crips and sold at the right time. Who needs a bank account.
@Dman: why be boring? It makes no sense
@Mary Toilet: is it still resting in his account
As for slight of hand by FFG on tax increases with comments closed, seems the journal has lost all dignity too
@Davy: This seems to upset you a lot.
Do you have a need to tell others you opinion?
Is validation or the approval of strangers something important to you?
@Alison Hughes: I would imagine it’s more of the fact that it was an exceptional site for debate up until quite recently and people enjoyed the debates in general. 90% were done with a degree of respect to opposing views and it was a an opportunity to get a sense of public support on topics.
I am a rare poster but I enjoyed the discussions and back and forth. And despite a small minority of completely entrenched views it was nice to see at times people coming around to understanding at least parts of other viewpoints! If your argument is the correct one it could clearly be won without silencing opposition which only drives fringe elements beliefs. Put it out there.
I for one miss that aspect of the site which seems now to only want one consensus view that aligns with there articles.
@R B: From a casual observer’s perspective, the comment section can be broken down into 3 groups;
1) the people that have a need for their opinions to be heard…a sort of validation, if you will.
2) those that feel the “establishment” are conspiring against them and post in the comments section as nobody anywhere else would listen to them.
3) those that feel they know better than those appointed to positions of responsibility, e.g. those that feel able to say our Taoiseach is this, that or the other when they themselves come nowhere near having achieved any level of success.(This group is the most humorous as they remind me of a security guard on the gate of Microsoft who thinks they run the company!)
@Alison Hughes: which group are you in ?? :)
All jokes aside I think you have about 25% there and I agree with elements of what you say but at least some of them have to right about something’s so we can’t just decide we are right and they shouldn’t be heard is the key point imo. Let ppl have there say it doesn’t affect us. Debate if you want ignore if you want but let them speak.
I did chuckle at the security guard comparison. Life would be boring if we all taught in same way. And it’s differing opinions and debate that leads to innovation.
Today is day be out in sun. Hope you have great day
@R B: I agree with you 100% and you hit the nail on the head saying life would be boring if we all thought the same…It’s the sense of “injustice” that many feel when they can’t comment on an online article that makes me laugh!
They are like toddlers screaming to be heard!
The sun is indeed out and you’re right about being out in it!
Have a great day too!
@Davy: Haha! …and the Shinners won’t put taxes up!?? Hahahaha
@R B & Alison: Agree with you both. Spot on.
@MTB Mayo: what have SF to do with the lotto
Brendan Howlin won the lotto many years ago when he was responsible for flogging it off to premier lotteries
No winner .
Lol.
Need your head examined to play this..
@Davy: that would be your expert opinion, would it?
My only issue with the integrity of the Lotto, is that all the profits are funding foreign investors. The Lotto boasts that it contributes four million Euro every week towards Irish causes. I’d love to see evidence of that! It also shows the problem we have with gambling in this country. – How much is given towards rehabilitation of gambling addicts I wonder? Integrity, my ass!
Surprised comments are even open for this one
RTE and trust. Never to be the same again. That bastion of truth the bbc has been steadily losing its credibility too. Where will ordinary Joe and Joan go to for their world view ?
Reminds me of Father Ted.
“Number 11, number 11, …what’s that Dougal, you are the winner?” “Ah sorry Ted, I was looking at the ticket upside down”
“The money was just ‘resting’ in my account. Did an RTÉ staff member win it?
The draw is not done live its pre-recorded… what are they at?
Even been drawing twice I could win a washer
@The Gate Florist: What???
@Alison Hughes: I was going to tell a joke about washing machines, but it was too dirty.
Ah yep.
One of the greatest scams of all times
@Jb Walshe: another know all expert. I suppose you have proof of this.
So do we get a refund?
Number 11 …
Colm O Gorman loves any balls
@Mary Toilet: considering the man was sexualy abused and raped by men, that’s a particularly horrific comment
So was the draw Void ? Or is it allowed to stand ? Serious question. As it is a visual draw !!
have your say