The full list of essential retail outlets under Level 5 restrictions

James Fenton

A new set of Covid-19 measures for retail outlets came into effect on New Year’s Day and are scheduled to last until January 31.

As part of the latest attempt to combat the spread of Covid-19, Ireland will remain under Level 5 restrictions for the entire month of January and possibly longer. Under the measures, bars and restaurants can only offer takeaway and delivery services, gyms and leisure centres are asked to close and only retail outlets that are deemed essential are allowed to open.

Further to this, the Government has said that ‘retailers with mixed retail offering which have discrete spaces for essential and non-essential retail should make arrangements for the separation of relevant areas.’

With Covid-19 case numbers rapidly escalating, the advice to the public is to remain at home except for essential reasons. If you must visit an essential retail outlet, it is imperative that you follow public health guidelines which can be found here.

A full list of essential retail outlets can be found below:

1. Outlets selling food or beverages on a takeaway basis, or newspapers, whether on a retail or wholesale basis and whether in a non-specialised or specialised outlet.

2. Markets that, wholly or principally, offer food for sale.

3. Outlets selling products necessary for the essential upkeep and functioning of places of residence and businesses, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.

4. Pharmacies, chemists and retailers or wholesalers providing pharmaceuticals or pharmaceutical or dispensing services, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.

5. Outlets selling health, medical or orthopaedic goods in a specialised outlet, whether on a retail or wholesale basis.

6. Fuel service stations and heating fuel providers.

7. Outlets selling essential items for the health and welfare of animals (including animal feed and veterinary medicinal products, pet food, animal bedding and animal supplies), whether on a retail or wholesale basis.

8. Laundries and drycleaners.

9. Banks, post offices and credit unions.

10. Outlets selling safety supplies (including work-wear apparel, footwear and personal protective equipment), whether on a retail or wholesale basis.

11. Hardware outlets, builders’ merchants and outlets that provide, whether on a retail or wholesale basis:

hardware products necessary for home and business maintenance or construction and development
sanitation and farm equipment

supplies and tools essential for farming or agriculture purposes

12. Outlets providing for the repair and maintenance of mechanically propelled vehicles or bicycles and any related facilities (including tyre sales and repairs).

13. The following outlets, insofar as they offer services on an emergency basis only:

outlets selling office products and services for businesses or for relevant persons working from their respective places of residence, whether on a retail or wholesale basis
outlets providing electrical, information and communications technology and telephone sales, repair and maintenance services for places of residence and businesses

14. Any other retail outlet that operates an online or other remote system of ordering goods for purposes of collection at the retail outlet.

You can read more about current restrictions related to the retail sector via this link.

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