Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said that it may be necessary to go "even beyond" the current Level 5 restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Coveney said the pace of the third wave of the virus has taken everyone by surprise. Defending the Government's handling of the situation and decisions made, Mr Coveney said the Government has worked with NPHET very successfully for the past nine months. "Decisions made on the back of that relationship have saved many lives and kept the virus under control where possible," he said.
However, he conceded that "some mistakes have been made". The minister said the Government must make decisions and the most important advice comes from NPHET but