A "pent-up demand" for socialising and a general feeling of safety now compared to last year has led to more social interactions, according to a senior lecturer in psychology at NUI Galway.
Dr Gerry Molloy said there is an absence "of a certain amount of worry" with the success of the vaccination prorgramme being a significant factor.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, he said the latest data clearly shows that people have been socialising more over the last three to four months. "I think there is a huge pent-up demand for social interaction.
No doubt about that," he said. Dr Molloy said the Amarach public opinion tracker survey clearly indicates that a minority of people are staying at home more often because of Covid.