Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Or in the Phoenix Park for that matter. On the 2 m rule, as I mentioned earlier, while there are different advices from different bodies, everyone agrees that a distance of 2 m is safer than one of 1 m and a distance of 3 m would be safer again. A distance of 1 m provides about 70% or 80% protection from somebody who is carrying the virus. A distance of 2 m provides closer to 95% protection. We should be honest with people that if we are going to go from 2 m to 1 m, that is an additional risk. It is much less of a risk than it was a few weeks ago when the virus was circulating in the community to a much greater extent than it is now. It would be a calculated risk to go from 2 m to 1 m. The risk of not doing it also exists, as the Deputy has mentioned. Being unable to open schools fully has consequences too. Not being able to open the hospitality sector properly and a potential 80,000 people not being able to get back to work has consequences, not just economic but also health consequences.

Work is being done involving the HPSC and Departments to calculate and quantify that risk so that if we make a decision to change the advice or make exceptions to it that we know the risk. It is a risk analysis and we expect to have it concluded next week.

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