The Government's emergency COVID-19 powers will remain in place until February 9th.
They were due to end next week, but TDs last night backed a three-month extension by 82 votes to 44.
It gives a legal footing to some of the restrictions that remain in place, such as requiring vaccine passports and face-masks to be used in certain settings.
It also gives gardaí enforcement powers for breaches of the COVID-19 rules.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said this will be the "final extension" of the current emergency powers legislation, and that any extension beyond February 9th would require new legislation.
He argued that the three-month extension was needed amid rising COVID-19 case numbers, as "we simply cannot know what will face us over the coming months".
Sinn Féin was among the groups opposing the extension.
The party's health spokesperson David Cullinane said he accepted some public health measures "obviously have to remain in place so long as they are necessary".
However, he suggested the "draconian" emergency measures, granting significant powers to the Minister for Health, were no longer necessary.
Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae, meanwhile, said he's disappointed the vote passed.
He said: "They have had the emergency powers for more than a year and a half now, and the cases are still going up and up.
"The emergency powers were put in place as there was an exceptional need - I don't believe the exceptional need is there now."
The extension of the powers comes after the Government last month confirmed that measures such as vaccine passes would remain in place through the winter.
