Simon Coveney believes it was the “responsible” thing to do to shut down nightclubs.
The senior Government minister was speaking as nightclubs prepare to pull down their shutters again at midnight tonight (THURS) - after only reopening three weeks ago following 18 months locked up.
Mr Coveney said that socialising in late bars and nightclubs after midnight is a “risk factor” that the Government has decided we can do without.
And the Minister for Foreign Affairs added that he could not rule out further restrictions being reintroduced if Covid figures don’t improve.
Many people are concerned that with Covid rampaging through the community again, and with rising rates among schoolchildren, coupled with a shortage of teachers, that schools may not reopen in January after the Christmas break.
Mr Coveney could not rule out this scenario either at a press conference to launch the Department of Defence’s new Winter Ready programme.
He said: “This is about trying to avoid more severe restrictions of people.
“It’s about effectively recalibrating our response and recognising that large numbers of people in nightclubs and late night bars is a risk factor that we think it is responsible to remove, for now.”
Mr Coveney added: “I think it is the right decision.
“We can’t rule out further restriction and we still have to follow the behaviour of this virus in the weeks ahead to see if we’ve done enough to protect society this winter or whether we need to do more.”
However, Mr Coveney did provide some hope for consumers when he revealed that the Cabinet will discuss sending free antigen tests to every home in the country.
The current plan as revealed by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, this week was that the widespread purchase of antigen tests would only be subsidised.
This would see the tests available for between €3 and €5, instead of the going rate of around €8 that most sellers are now charging.
Mr Coveney said: “I’m not going to start calling on the Minister for Health to do things, but this is something that the Government will have conversations on.”
The issue was also raised during the Dáil’s set piece on Wednesday afternoon, Leaders’ Questions.
Labour leader, Alan Kelly, called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to provide free antigen tests to every home in the country until January, with subsidised kits after that.
Mr Kelly said: “Will the Taoiseach consider giving antigen tests to everyone until 1 January?
“That is a reasonable request.
“Will the Taoiseach please put it out there and consider it?
“Will he give boosters to school teachers, SNAs and early years staff?
“Schools are going to fall over.”
