CHURCHES AND other places of worship in Ireland have been granted special exemption from the 50-person limit on indoor gatherings across Ireland.
Under Phase Three of the government’s plan for gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions, churches were set to reopen with the restriction in place.
The limit on indoor gatherings was to increase to 100 as part of Phase Four.
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin previously criticised the limits which would have left some larger churches only able to host as little as 1% of their parishes.
“It seems strange that in a church with a capacity of 1,500 people which has been scrupulously fitted out for conformity with social distancing and with clear indications about movement and interaction of people within church, that only 50 people might be present, while we all see a situation in which large retail outlets brimming with people,” he said.
Calling for “a more reasonable and responsible” approach to the reopening of churches, the Archbishop had his prayers answered by Leo Varadka.
Speaking at a press conference held to confirm that Ireland would be officially moving into Phase Three from Monday, Varadkar added that an exception to the rules would be made for places of worship.
According to the Taoiseach, a “special protocol” will be put in place to allow larger groups to attend church services.
Churches will be expected to police the rules themselves in order to prevent any further outbreaks of coronavirus.
