Greater certainty on milestones still needed for business after Government announcement

Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has said that it is positive to see some unwinding of Covid restrictions over the coming weeks but has stressed that greater certainty is still needed on further reopening of the economy. Business must be given as much advance notice as possible to allow adequate lead time to activate supply chains and put measures in place to reopen safely. In particular, Government needs to map out how further reopening will develop in line with key vaccination milestones. 

Ibec CEO Danny McCoy said: “It is positive to see some progress in reopening our economy and in particular the recommencement of more construction activity. The inclusion of widespread antigen testing as part of the toolkit to tackle who is infectious as opposed to just determining who has been infected is a positive development for Irish business and society.” 

Ibec urge Government to keep the measures under ongoing review and to reconsider further adjustments to restrictions during April on the basis of health outcome indicators and vaccination progress.

Ibec has also noted that it is of great concern for Ireland’s reputation as an open economy that more countries may be added to the list of countries from which travellers must undergo mandatory quarantining upon arriving in Ireland. Ibec urge Government to fully consider all of the economic, business, social and reputational implications of such a decision.