Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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308. To ask the Minister for Health if a business (details supplied) can be categorised as essential work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10846/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As you will be aware the current public health restrictions at level 5 of the Government's Framework Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 will remain in place until 5th April 2021, when a further review will be conducted. The Framework continues to provide an appropriate mechanism to guide decision-making, and it will continue to be supplemented by more detailed sectoral guidance in relation to measures that apply at each level of the Framework.

On 23 February the Government published COVID-19 Resilience & Recovery 2021: The Path Ahead which sets out how in-school education and childcare services will be reinstated in a phased manner from 1 March, with staggered return throughout March to be concluded after the Easter break on 12 April. Information on the revised plan is available here -

S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 and S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (as amended by S.I. No. 29 of 2021) sets out the current public health restrictions at level 5.

Under the public health restrictions at level 5, all non-essential retail, and all non-essential services must remain closed. Information in relation to essential retail/essential services at level 5 is available at -https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/#retail-and-services-for-example-hairdressers-beauticians-barbers

You are not restricted from purchasing any product at level 5, however you are restricted from physically going into non-essential retail outlets. This is to stop people making unnecessary journeys and congregating, in order to limit the spread of the virus. Under the current restrictions, click or phone and delivery from non-essential retail outlets is permitted.

For your assistance, Statutory Instruments related to the Covid-19 pandemic are available here -