Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021
530. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will consider waiving current dining restriction for persons who are vaccinated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29867/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, on 29 June, Government announced the next phase of reopening the economy and society in line with Recovery and Resilience: The Path Ahead.
While significant progress is being made in relation to the roll-out of our vaccination programme and the position had been broadly stable over the earlier part of June, the prevalence of the more transmissible Delta variant is rapidly increasing in Ireland and this poses a significant risk, in particular to those who are not yet fully vaccinated. For this reason, a number of higher risk indoor activities including service in bars and restaurants, will not recommence as planned on 5 July, pending the implementation of a system to verify vaccination or immunity status.
Since 29 June, the Government has been working, together with the hospitality sector, to enable the safer reopening of indoor restaurant and bar services.
Significant and sustained progress has been made on suppressing the virus over recent months due to the huge effort of people across the country. By working together, we have saved lives and limited the impact of the disease on society in Ireland. To protect the gains of recent months we must continue to practice basic preventative behaviours and to follow public health guidelines.
