Kevin Galvin & Digital Desk Staff
Early indicators have emerged from government about what we can expect from the reduction of restrictions on April 5th.
The 5km travel limit is expected to be extended from the current 5km limit, however its unclear whether it will be to 10km, 20km or indeed extending to allow travel within your county.
Changes to sports and recreation, as mentioned specifically by Taoiseach Mícheal Martin, are also expected to happen, with mutings from Leinster House about children being allowed return to training, as well as Inter County GAA, golf and tennis, where social distancing can be respected.
Construction will also be allowed to resume on a phased basis from April 5th, beginning with home-building, under plans being considered by Ministers.
Talks around easing restrictions on April 5 start next week. Looks like Government priorities are:
1 Return of 14,000 more construction workers
2 Children’s sports training
3 Extending 5KM limit to 20KM or within counties
4 Inter-County GAA, golf & tennis to be discussed— Mícheál Lehane (@MichealLehane) March 20, 2021
As The Irish Times reports, it comes amid a major lobbying push by the main representative group for builders, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF),.
On Friday it wrote to TDs warning them that “Government is being blamed” for the ongoing closure of the sector.
Elsewhere, several Ministers said if Covid-19 case numbers are still high next month, it could mean the current 5km travel restriction would be expanded, but only to 10 or perhaps 8km. Current plans envisage easing the limit to allow for travel within county boundaries.
The CIF, in its message to TDs warning of “political implications” of the closure, argued that the housing crisis would be extended “for at least three years” and claimed HSE data showed it is “safe to open fully”.
Only social housing projects nearing completion are permitted at present.
Commercial housing projects
Under plans being examined by Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, home-building could be considered from April 5th, but work on commercial premises such as offices would still not be allowed.
The Department of Housing estimates that phased reopening would mean an additional 14,000 workers returning to sites on top of the estimated 30,000-35,000 currently working. Work on one-off homes and estates could resume
It is unclear how home extensions would be impacted, but it is likely that, under the proposals, larger commercial housing projects such as apartment schemes could carry on.
“There are already 35,000 people working in construction right now on essential projects,” said one source. “There is strong public health data from the sector, and it has been reassuring... If you add another 15,000 spread across the State doing outdoor work, it won’t constitute a big additional risk.
“It’s outdoor work and we need to build as many homes as we can.”
The proposals are understood to enjoy support from some Cabinet colleagues, who are increasingly anxious about the long-term impact of keeping the sector closed.
Senior Government figures said there would be a resumption of construction after April 5th but a full return might not be possible if the situation surrounding the B117 variant remains an issue.
