Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
179. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the regulations which will be in place for winter 2020-2021 for the harvesting and selling of real Christmas trees that can adhere to social distancing and hygiene regulations while operating outdoors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35345/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open. I am not in a position yet to say what regulations will be in place for the winter 2020/2021 period.
S.I. No. 448 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID. A list of essential services can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/ and the list of essential retail outlets at Level 5 can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60ecc-essential-retail-outlets-for-level-5/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60ecc-essential-retail-outlets-for-level-4/.
Level 5 restricts people from physically going into non-essential stores in order to stop people congregating and browsing for non-essential goods, to limit the spread of the virus. All retailers – essential and non-essential, including those selling Christmas trees – can however continue to trade via ‘remote ordering’ and fulfil orders for all products including non-essential items, by online or by phone, for home delivery and for collection.
I and my colleague Minister of State English met with the Retail Forum members on 21 October to remind those in the retail sector, of the need for strict adherence to the public health guidelines during Level 5. Minister English met again with the Retail Forum members and major multiple grocery retailers on 28 October and retail Forum members and representatives of the retail grocery and distribution sector on 4 November to reinforce this message. Minister English is due to convene another meeting with representatives of the Retail Grocery and distribution sector this week.
I would like to thank retailers and their customers for their efforts at this difficult time. By each of us following the spirit of these new rules and working together we can hopefully return to a lower level of the Living with Covid-19 framework.
