The Latest Breaking News from Stephen Donnelly

There are currently no plans to bring in any mandatory mask rules this winter

"We are planning for a perfect storm of Covid, flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses."

Case numbers have risen considerably across Europe, with more people testing positive for the virus each day

The Minister for Health told Cabinet mask wearing could be imposed again in the event of a Covid surge

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was speaking as he brought a memo to the Government outlining what steps will be taken if there’s another Covid wave this winter. He said he brought the memo to Cabinet with advice from Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth.

The appointment follows an open competition that took place through the Top-Level Appointment Commission (TLAC) process

"Many people are still using the Government guidelines about symptoms which are wrong"

Mr Martin was feeling very confident in his own abilities as he did not rule out returning to the office of Taoiseach again after the next general election

Currently, children aged 5 and under and those over 70 qualify for scheme - but this will be expanded significantly in the coming months