People in Ireland should be 'very happy' that the conversation today is about how we reopen the country after level five, the Health Minister has said.
Stephen Donnelly said governments elsewhere in Europe are having very different conversations about the coronavirus crisis than the Irish one is.
Cabinet ministers have arrived at Leinster House this afternoon to start their meeting on how to ease restrictions next month.
It's expected retail, hairdressers, barbers, gyms, cinemas and theatres will be allowed open next week.
Restaurants and gastropubs are also expected to be allowed reopen, although potentially not until Monday December 7th.
Meanwhile, restrictions on household visits are expected to continue for several weeks, before being eased in the week leading up to Christmas.
Speaking on his way into today's Cabinet meeting, Minister Donnelly said ministers are having the "right conversation" today.
Health Minister @DonnellyStephen says people should be happy that the conversation today is about opening up the country rather than further restrictions being examined in other countries 📸 @SeanDefoe pic.twitter.com/bbr6detAno
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) November 27, 2020
He said: "I'll tell you what I think we should all be very happy with - that the conversation we're having is about how we open Ireland up for December and Christmas.
"There are hard decisions that have to be made - there's no question about it. But I can tell you that around Europe the conversations my counterparts are having are around how they stop an escalation in COVID fatalities; what they do about the fact that their hospital systems are closing down; what they do if they run out of critical care beds.
"Ireland has been through a really tough five and a half weeks. But because of the sacrifices everyone has made, we've had the biggest fall in COVID cases anywhere in Europe."
Minister Donnelly also said that Ireland has had the biggest reduction in COVID related fatalities between the first and second waves of the virus
He observed: "Because of the work everyone has put in for the last number of weeks, the conversation we're now having is about how to open up.
"Our hospitals are stable... our healthcare workers have done an incredible job."
He said there'd be a "very different conversation" being had if members of the public hand't gotten behind level five restrictions in recent weeks.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, meanwhile, said he wants people to be able to have a "safe and meaningful Christmas" after a difficult year.
However, he said it's vital that progress made during October and November isn't 'squandered' over the Christmas period.
