Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 February 2021
772. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health if headstones services are classed as an essential service and permitted under current Covid-19-related restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9442/21]
View answer887. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if those who are employed to carry out maintenance work such as the engraving of additional names on graveyard headstones are considered essential workers. [9874/21]
View answer908. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if monumental sculptors are restricted from their work of erecting headstones and tending to graves under the current level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9947/21]
View answer922. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if book shops will be added to the list of essential services. [10003/21]
View answer1034. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health his plans to allow outside workers, that is, painters, window cleaners and tree surgeons who work alone to return to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10529/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 772, 887, 908, 922 and 1034 together.
As the Deputy is aware, the public health restrictions at level 5 of the Government's Framework Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 will remain in place until 5th April 2021, when a further review will be conducted. The Framework continues to provide an appropriate mechanism to guide decision-making, and it will continue to be supplemented by more detailed sectoral guidance in relation to measures that apply at each level of the Framework.
On 23 February, 2021, the Government published COVID-19 Resilience & Recovery 2021: The Path Ahead which sets out how in-school education and childcare services will be reinstated in a phased manner from 1 March, with staggered return throughout March to be concluded after the Easter break on 12 April. Information on the revised plan is available here – https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c4876-covid-19-resilience-and-recovery-2021-the-path-ahead/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/ThePathAhead/
The public health measures recognise the need to reduce congregation and interactions between people to reduce the transmission of Covid-19. The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the plan is based on a review of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible. The measures in place for each level reflect the prevailing disease situation and recognise that we can and must prioritise some activities over others.
At level 5, all non-essential retail, and all non-essential services must remain closed. Information in relation to the current public health measures in place for essential retail and essential services at level 5 is available at:- https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/ and https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/
Funeral, burial and related services are listed as essential under 'Administrative and Support Activities'.
The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (NO. 10) Regulations 2020 Regulation (S.I. 701 of 2020), sets out the relevant businesses or services under the current public health measures. Statutory Instruments related to the Covid-19 pandemic are available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/1f150-view-statutory-instruments-related-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/.
