The Taoiseach is to make a rare, Ministerial Broadcast, to the country at 9pm. After a video-conference with European Heads of Government this afternoon, and a tele-conference with the Cabinet to agree emergency Covid-19 legislation this evening, Leo Varadkar tweeted "This is a Patrick's Day like no other.
We cannot stop the virus, but we can push it back. We will always put your life and your health first. In future, let them say: when things were at their worst, we were at our best." The broadcast is being made under Section 112 of the Broadcast Act, which allows the Government broadcasting time for announcements in the event of a major emergency.