I propose to take Questions Nos. 2026, 2235, 2385, 2689, 2697, 2824 and 3099 together.
As the Deputies will be aware, on 29 June, Government announced the next phase of reopening the economy and society in line with Resilience and Recovery: 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.
As of 26 July, indoor dining has reopened for fully vaccinated individuals and those who are considered immune as a result of recovering from a covid-19 infection in the previous six months. The HSE guidance on when a person is fully vaccinated is available online www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine/when-you-have-been-vaccinated/
Access to businesses is being restricted to those who are fully vaccinated or recovered as the risk is still high, however the system will be kept under review and Government will consider further phases of the reopening of hospitality as the epidemiological situation allows. Details of measures in place can be found online: www.gov.ie/en/publication/41f70-reopening-hospitality/
Significant 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.