'Time to allow people return to normality" - Mayo TD

A Mayo TD is strongly supporting plans by the government to lift Covid restrictions over the coming weeks.

Speaking on Newstalk, Deputy Michael Ring explained: "The strain on Irish hospitals is no different this year to any other year of the pandemic.

“Exactly this time two years ago, we were fighting a general election and the biggest issue at the time was the overflow of hospitals.

"People with illnesses were out in car parks and weren’t able to get into hospitals all over this country.

“The situation is nothing has changed in two years.

"The time has come now. Yes, there was a pandemic. Yes, we did what we were told. Yes, we listened to the professionals, but it is time now to start moving on.

“The professionals are now telling us that the worst of this pandemic is gone so it is time now that we started making decisions for that as well.

"The time has come that we open up. The time has come to allow people to go back into normality.”

He said the Covid restrictions are putting great strain on people’s mental health all over the country.

“We have all had enough of it,” he said.

“All our mental health has been affected by this and the time has come now that we need to get back to normality again and let people do their business.

“People want to make their living. There are people suffering out there."