From 10 May
Activity Guidance
Travel You can travel between counties in Ireland
Visitors to your garden Maximum of 3 households or 6 people from any number of households
Outdoor gatherings Maximum 15 people
Outdoor training Maximum 15 people
Retail Click and collect services can resume
Personal services (hairdressers, barbers, beauticians ) Can reopen for customers with appointments only
Galleries, museums, libraries and other cultural attractions Can reopen
Funerals Maximum 50 mourners at service. No other events to take place
Weddings Maximum 50 guests at service. Maximum 6 guests at indoor reception or 15 outdoors
Public transport Public transport will run at 50 percent capacity
Vaccine bonus If you are vaccinated - you can visit other households indoors
From 17 May
Activity Guidance
Retail All retail can reopen
From 2 June (subject to the public health situation at the time )
Activity Guidance
Accommodation services (hotels, B&Bs, self-catering and hostels ) Can reopen but services must be restricted to overnight guests and residents
From 7 June (subject to the public health situation at the time )
Activity Guidance
Visitors You can have visitors from one other household inside your home
Restaurants and bars Outdoor services can resume with groups limited to 6 people
Weddings Maximum guests at reception increases to 25
Outdoor sports matches Can be played but with no spectators
Cinemas Can reopen
Gyms, swimming pools, leisure centres Can reopen for individual training only
Today the government decided to move ahead with the Recovery and Resilience: The Path Ahead plan. We are now in the early stages of the Recovery phase of the pandemic. The National Vaccination Programme is well advanced and thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the Irish people, there has been a marked improvement in the status of the virus in the community.
The decision is based on advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET ), that a phased reopening over May and June, with an emphasis on outdoor activity and a moderate increase in social contact, can be considered low to medium risk.
This allows us to continue through the Recovery phase, focusing on what is safest and generates the most benefit and with a focus on outdoors activities – both social and economic. Think safe, think outdoors – this must be our theme for the summer of 2021. The government has agreed that the following measures will apply:
What you can do in May
Continue to protect yourself and others by following public health advice.
From 4 May
All remaining construction can recommence.
From 10 May
an increase in the numbers that can meet outdoors for social/recreational purposes, including in private gardens – maximum of 3 households or 6 people from any number of households. This limit of 6 does not include their children aged 12 or younger
organised outdoor gatherings with a maximum attendance of 15 people
outdoor training for adults in pods of a maximum of 15 people
phased reopening of non-essential retail. Click and collect by appointment and outdoor retail can recommence from 10 May. All remaining retail to reopen from 17 May
reopening of personal services by appointment
reopening of galleries, museums, other cultural attractions
libraries to reopen for lending services. No access to reader spaces/PCs
recommencement of religious services. It is advised that other religious ceremonies such as Communions and Confirmations should not take place at this time
funerals – 50 mourners permitted at service. Related events, either before or after, should not take place
weddings – 50 guests permitted at service (civil or religious ). For celebrations/receptions, a maximum of 6 people for indoor gatherings and 15 people for outdoor gatherings
inter-county travel can resume
increase in numbers on public transport, up to 50% of normal capacity
Vaccine bonus
From 10 May, indoor private home visiting can be permitted (without masks or social distancing ) in the following cases:
fully vaccinated people can meet indoors with other fully vaccinated people as long as there are no more than 3 households present
fully vaccinated people can meet indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household, provided that they are not at risk of severe illness
This applies to:
persons who have received AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria ) – 4 weeks after dose 1
persons who have received Janssen/Johnson & Johnson – 2 weeks after dose 1 (only dose )
persons who have received Pfizer – 1 weeks after dose 2
persons who have received Moderna – 2 weeks after dose 2
persons who have had a confirmed COVID-19 infection in the previous 6 months
What you can do in June (subject to the public health situation at the time )
Continue to protect yourself and others by following public health advice.
From 2 June
Accommodation services including hotels, B&Bs, self-catering and hostels can reopen. Services including leisure facilities, indoor restaurant and bar services must be restricted to overnight guests/residents only.
From 7 June
outdoor sports matches can recommence. No spectators are permitted
cinemas can reopen
gyms, swimming pools, leisure centres can reopen for individual training only
outdoor services in restaurants and bars can recommence, with groups limited to a maximum of 6 people
the numbers of guests attending wedding celebrations/receptions can increase to 25
visiting indoors in private homes – visitors from one other household can be permitted
Next steps
A number of higher-risk activities will be considered over the coming period for later in the year, including:
indoor hospitality (restaurants, bars, nightclubs, casinos )
indoor team/group sports including matches, training and exercise classes
mass gatherings/events (including spectators ) indoors and outdoors
international travel
Business supports
Recovery will include economic measures to help businesses and get people back to work. Clear sectoral guidance and supports for business will be provided at each stage to ensure safe reopening. There will be no cliff edge in financial supports for businesses.
Any business currently availing of CRSS and that can now reopen as restrictions are eased will be able to avail of double restart week payments for two weeks subject to the statutory maximum of €5,000 per week to support them in meeting the costs of reopening as they exit the scheme.
