Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has promised the young people of Ireland that 2021 will be better after a tough 2020.
In a video message that was shared on his personal account, the Fine Gael leader offered his sympathies to the youth of Ireland following a difficult 2020.
"This is a special message to the young people of Ireland. I know that 2020 has been a really rotten year. No Leaving Cert, no Leaving Cert results night, no opportunity to go away for the summer on a J1, a totally abnormal college experience, no freshers week, no festivals, and very little dating, I assume. We just want to say, thank you," he said.
Varadkar adds: "Because of your efforts and perseverance, Ireland is now one of the safest countries to be when it comes to the level of the coronavirus. We need people to stick at it and to keep listening to public health guidelines and following that advice. At least for the next couple of months until the vaccine is fully deployed. What you do is going to make a big difference, not just for your peers but for all society."
This optimistic tone echoes previous statements that the Tanaiste recently made where he expressed his hope that Ireland will be back to near normality by the summer of next year.
Laois Today report that Varadkar told the group that a vaccine rollout could begin in January or early February.
Mr Varadkar said: "Hopefully by the middle of 2021 we will be back to a level of normality in terms of going on holidays, matches, events."
He added: "Hopefully Electric Picnic will happen in 2021 and a lot of people will be making it to Stradbally."
In terms of the most recent COVID-related developments, three counties reported zero new cases as some signs of optimism emerged in Ireland's battle with COVID-19.
A total of 301 new cases were reported across the country on Sunday evening. It brings the number of infections here to 74,246 since the outbreak began.
Of Sunday's cases, 119 were reported in Dublin, 32 in Donegal, 16 in Cork, 13 in Kildare, 13 in Kilkenny and the remaining 108 cases are spread across 18 other counties.
