“I’m hoping that’s the month where things are relatively normal.”

Tanáiste Leo Varadkar has said that he believes Ireland will return to relative normality from August onwards. Varadkar said he hoped that by August, the vast majority of restrictions would be gone, and he also hoped that indoor dining would return in July. “I think we have to get through another winter to be sure, but I do think life will pretty much back to normal by August," Varadkar said. Speaking at a press conference in Dublin, Varadkar pointed to Israel as an example, with the middle eastern country recently beginning to welcome tourists again. "They kind of got to that point when they were at, where we would expect to be by August," he said. “So, I'm hoping that that's the month when things are relatively normal again." He did say he thinks there will still be restrictions on mass gatherings and international travel at that point. Varadkar added that he can't say these things for certain as this is a new virus, the vaccines have been in existence for less than a year and we don't know what will happen when "the winter comes". At the same press conference, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said it is "not okay" and "not healthy" that alcohol is being sold at "pocket money prices" across certain Irish supermarkets. The Minister insisted minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol was being introduced in Ireland “because there is powerful evidence" it works. The MUP will not affect the price of any alcohol sold in pubs, clubs, and restaurants in Ireland whenever they do reopen.