Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the questions. Our hospitals are under very significant pressure. As of this morning, we have 1,610 patients in hospital with Covid.

It is putting significant pressure on our hospitals, our patients, their families and our healthcare workers. I am conscious of, and fully understand, the calls that have been made through emergency medicine and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, this morning. Our workers - their members - are exhausted. This is yet another Covid wave. It has been going on for a long time, people are tired and the pressure is relentless.

I might be able to revert to the Deputy after his next supplementary question. In short, we have taken away the legal requirements around masks but the advice remains: if people are on public transport, they should wear masks; if people are visiting a healthcare or nursing home setting, they should wear masks; if people are in a crowded space indoors or outdoors; they should wear masks; and if people are more susceptible to Covid or are meeting others who are more susceptible, they should wear masks.

See this speech in context