DUBLIN: Ireland’s majority of construction projects are stalled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The government has decided to close most of the construction projects in January, except for social housing and essential public works.
The Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins, said further discussions on the construction sector would take place in the cabinet tomorrow. The minister said the decision would be necessary to control the number of COVID-19 patients on a daily basis.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the situation with COVID-19 as “very, very serious” and said the rapid growth of the disease had “exceeded any expectation”.
The list of essential projects recommended by the Cabinet sub-committee on COVID-19 will be released today after the cabinet meeting. The ECCE pre-school scheme should remain closed for January. But the creches will open as the children of essential workers have to be looked after.
All passengers arriving in Ireland from the UK and South Africa are required to undergo a negative COVID-19 test. The new rule, which requires a negative PCR test from previous 72 hours, will come into effect from Saturday. The proposal is expected to be approved by the Cabinet. Proposals to ban click-and-collect services for non-essential retail outlets may also be discussed.