Business representative group Ibec is also calling for the return of outdoor hospitality in early May.
Ibec CEO Danny McCoy has written to Taoiseach Micheal Martin stating that personal services like hairdressers and gyms, as well as non-essential retail, should be reopened fully by 4 May.
He also said the return of outdoor hospitality must be supported with preparation time, begun immediately, so that the industry can open up in early May as well.
His letter reads: “It is clear that the understanding, and indeed credibility, of the Five Levels set out in the Covid Framework need to be reset to reflect the situation of summer 2021.
“Keeping businesses in Level 5, when circumstances have considerably improved, is both undermining confidence and the sense of equity as society moves ahead of the guidance.”
McCoy also called on the government to adjust the framework to reflect the reduction in risk the vaccine rollout brings, while also providing safe environments for social and economic activity.
As part of this, the CEO said further sectors of the economy should be reopened fully from 4 May, including construction activity, personal services and non-essential retail.
On the reasons why, McCoy said: “Government has previously acknowledged the main reason for the closure of non-essential retail was to limit movement in public spaces. Given the trends of recent weeks, that logic no longer holds, and all non-essential retail and personal services should now be fully reopened.
“The change in season for clothing and footwear demand also requires that retailers should be given the opportunity to trade equally with other jurisdictions and retail channels.”
McCoy also said that since mass outdoor gatherings are now commonplace and occurring in “largely unregulated and unsupervised circumstances”, the return of outdoor hospitality in early May should be supported to provide “safer and properly controlled settings for social gatherings”.
He added: “Vague sentiments about [how] the summer will be outdoors is not a plan. Businesses in the hospitality economy need dates and trigger points in moving to phased openings to plan and retain hope of saving their enterprises.”
McCoy also urged the government to provide clarity on the reopening timetable for the experience economy, to take steps to address mental health risks for those working at home, and to increase capacity on public transport to 50% in the next phase of reopening.
His letter reads: “We believe that the priorities outlined here strike the correct balance between the ongoing public health risks and the need to address the escalating economic crisis along with other societal issues.”
You can read the letter in full here.
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