Clarification has been provided on who is classified as “an essential worker” as part of the restrictions announced to combat COVID-19.
Sixteen categories have been defined by the Department of Taoiseach as to who fits the criteria of being deemed an essential worker in a publication issued on Saturday evening.
It includes the following industries, agriculture/fishing, manufacturing, repair and installation of machinery and equipment, electricity, gas and water, construction, trade, transport, accommodation and food services, media, financial and legal activities, science and technology, property, administration, public defence, human health and social work plus community and voluntary services.
All employees should work remotely from home if at all possible. Everyone is to stay at home until April 12th unless they are involved in any of the following scenarios;
- to travel to and from work, or for purposes of work, only where the work is an essential health,
- social care or other essential service and cannot be done from home
- to shop for essential food, beverage and household goods or collect a meal
- to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
- for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people
- to take brief individual physical exercise within 2 kilometres of your home, which may include children from your household, as long as you adhere to strict 2 metre physical distancing
- for farming purposes, that is food production or care of animals
Employees at all times must bring either work identification or a letter from your employer indicating that you are an essential employee plus another form of identification. If you are self-employed, a farmer or agricultural worker, or a member of the clergy, you should carry one form of identification with you at all times.
Organisations who provide essential services should have business continuity and resilience plans in place, the Government have advised.
If you are not engaged in the provision of essential services, then you are not permitted to travel to and from work until 12 April 2020. There will be a grace period until 6pm on Monday 30 March for people who need to make necessary arrangements to wind down their activities in an orderly way. This should however be done in a way that minimises travel and personal interaction as much as possible.
Services provided below have been deemed as essential.
Agriculture and Fishing
- farmers
- farm labourers
- farm relief service workers
- others involved directly or indirectly in crop and animal production and related activities (including veterinary services), and workers involved in fishing
Manufacturing
- the manufacture of food and beverage products
- the manufacture of prepared animal feeds
- the manufacture of work-wear apparel or footwear
- the manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard and wood
- the printing and reproduction of newspapers and other media services
- the manufacturing of coke and refined petroleum products
- the manufacturing of alumina; chemicals and chemical products
- the manufacture of pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations
- the manufacture of products necessary for the supply chain of essential services; computer, electronic and optical products including semi-conductors; electrical equipment, machinery and other equipment (including agricultural and forestry machinery); medical devices; and medical and dental equipment and supplies
Repair and installation of Machinery and Equipment
- the supply, repair and installation of machinery and equipment and industrial machinery and equipment for essential services
Electricity, Gas and Water
- electric power generation, transmission and distribution
- extraction and distribution of gas
- water collection, treatment and supply
- sewerage; waste collection, remediation activities and other waste management treatment and disposal activities
Construction
- essential health and related projects relevant to the COVID-19 crisis, and supplies necessary for such projects
- repair/construction of critical road and utility infrastructure
- delivery of emergency services to businesses and homes on an emergency call-out basis in areas such as electrical, plumbing, glazing and roofing
Wholesale and Retail Trade
- retail services in accordance with the separate “Updated Essential Retail Outlets” list
- wholesale and distribution services necessary for the sale of food, beverages, fuel, medicines, medical products and devices and essential household products; takeaways and food delivery services
Transport Storage and Communication
- land transport (for example, bus, rail and taxi services)
- road, rail, sea and air freight
- sea and air passenger services; ports and airports
- warehousing and support activities for transportation including cargo-handling; postal and courier activities; network control and critical maintenance (including roads); and safety related functions
Accommodation and Food Services
- hotels or similar providing essential accommodation (including homeless, direct provision and related services)
- food and beverage service activities in accordance with the separate essential retail outlets list or for supply to a business engaged in an essential service
Information and Communications
- the publishing of newspapers, journals and periodicals as well as video, television programme production, sound recording, radio and television broadcasting; wired and satellite and
- telecommunications activities; internet and cloud providers; data centres and related services
Financial and legal activities
- banking and financial services (including banks, credit unions and post offices)
- accountancy, legal and insurance services necessary to support essential services and vulnerable people
Professional, Scientific and Technical activities
- engineering, technical testing activities and analysis
- scientific research and development activities
- regulation, inspection and certification services necessary to support essential services
- Rental and Leasing Activities
- rental and lease of cars
- light motor vehicles and trucks necessary to support the provision of essential services
Administrative and Support Services
- Where necessary to support other essential services:
- employment placement and human resources associated with the recruitment and deployment of workers
- security activities to assist in the delivery of essential services and the securing of premises closed to the public
- cleaning of buildings and industrial cleaning activities; business support activities which are necessary to support essential services included on this list; payroll and payment services necessary
for the operation of businesses; data processing, hosting and related activities
Public Administration and Defence
- Public administration activities necessary to support essential services and provision of social protection benefits (including Civil Service and Local Government):
- An Garda Siochana, Garda Staff and the Garda Reserve
- public order, safety, fire service and ambulance activities
- the Defence Forces
emergency call answering service to ensure administration of justice - Prison services and Child Detention services
- cyber-security
- regulatory processes and certification required to ensure supply chains, food, medicine and general process safety
- operation of botanical gardens, parks, forests and nature reserves
- funeral services
- religious personnel
- office-holders and public representatives
Human health and social work activities
- hospital services
- paramedical and essential therapy activities
- public health activities (including all those deployed to contract tracing and COVID-19 testing
services) - laboratory services
- drug treatment and addiction services
- hospice services
- pharmacy services
- primary care, general and specialist medical practice activities provided by public and private providers
- emergency dental practice activities
- blood donation service
- residential care activities (including nursing care, mental health and substance abuse, elderly and persons with disabilities, children’s residential services)
- homecare home help and other community services
- social work and social care activities (including disability services, mental health, child protection and welfare, domestic, sexual and gender based violence, homeless services including outreach)
- ambulance/pre-hospital emergency care services
- minor injury units
- maternity services
- health, social work, environmental, food safety regulatory activities
Community/Voluntary Services
- community and voluntary workers, working in a publicly commissioned service, not otherwise included on the list, deployed to assist in the delivery of essential services
- volunteer services operating under the local authority emergency management framework in accordance with public health guidance
