Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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35. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the advice provided to the Government by NPHET on the operation of acupuncture services under level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35545/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, Ireland is currently at Level 5 of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 - the Plan for Living with COVID-19. At Level 5, only essential retail outlets and essential services are allowed to open to the public.

The list of essential services that can remain open during Level 5 includes therapy services provided by a member of a designated profession within the meaning of section 3 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (No. 27 of 2005). There are seventeen professions designated under the 2005 Act, which are encompassed in the list of essential services. These are: Dietitians, Dispensing Opticians, Medical Scientists, Occupational Therapists, Optometrists, Physiotherapists (which includes Physical Therapists), Radiographers, Radiation Therapists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists, Clinical Biochemists, Counsellors, Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Social Care Workers.

I fully recognise the challenges business are facing right now but would emphasise that the purpose of these restrictions are to ensure that we reduce the spread of the virus so that we can, in the future, reopen business safely.