Stephen Donnelly hopeful that “all restrictions” can be lifted by Christmas

It seems a long awaited update for the events and entertainment industry may be coming soon.

According to our friends at JOE, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly stated today that "all restrictions" should be lifted by Christmas including the reopening of nightclubs. When asked if all current restrictions would be lifted before Christmas, including those in place for live entertainment, Donnelly replied:

Yes, I do....Obviously specific dates are something we will be looking to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) for and we’ll be discussing at Cabinet. But certainly yes... The view would be that we would be open this calendar year.

Speaking at a Covid testing centre near Croke Park this morning, Donnelly added that a government announcement was set to be made this week regarding the next phase of easing restrictions. He added that other health measures such as mask wearing and frequent hand washing may remain in place, particularly in crowded areas. This update comes following a call from the Event Industry Alliance for the Taoiseach Micheál Martin to ensure the full reopening of the live entertainment and events industry by 1st September, in light of the attendance of a crowd of 40,000 people at the All Ireland Hurling final at Croke Park last Sunday. Header image via Shutterstock