According to the latest communications from both the Tánaiste and Taoiseach over the weekend, there is increasing optimism that the reopening can commence in early May as planned. This will include full reopening of the construction sector and the phased reopening of non-essential retail.
 
There will be a roadmap set out for the full removal of restrictions over the coming months. The UK government published a roadmap a full two months ago, but it appears that the Irish government is only now sufficiently confident in the supply of vaccines and comes on the back of a notable ramp-up of the vaccine delivery programme in the past few weeks. 
 
The reopening plan will be followed up with an economic recovery package in the summer, with a focus on assisting those sectors most affected by the damaging restrictions over the past thirteen months. 

According to Goodbody Stockbrokers, "Last week saw a notable, and welcome, shift in the narrative around the pandemic and the prospects for reopening in Ireland. It was triggered by a faster than expected improvement in COVID cases and hospitalisations and, perhaps, a realisation from the government that the sense of fear and pessimism had gone too far. It has been a long time coming."

Source: www.businessworld.ie