Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Also, it is not two and a half, or two and a bit. NPHET gave us advice on Dublin and we acted on that advice. We were in transition from the first model to this new model that is in the new plan. NPHET gave advice prior to it being adopted by the Government during the week. The modification relates to wet pubs and the matches. That is it. There is no big deal here, in one sense. It is a very big deal for the pubs and their livelihoods, to be fair, but in terms of the broader overall plan the issue is that we got advice from NPHET and we did not want to ignore it. The alternative was to move to level 3, if that is what the Deputy is suggesting. That is the advice. We did not get advice from NPHET on Thursday to move to level 3. The Deputy wants the Government to move to level 3.

See this speech in context