Some will be thrilled to be back, others… less so.

Eamon Ryan has said that a return to the office could be on the cards from September, citing the success of Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, Ryan said: “We have to recognise those vaccination targets we have been meeting are phenomenal. We have pulled ahead now.

“We have passed out the US and are about to pass out the UK in terms of level of vaccination, and that gives us strength and the ability to do further reeopenings,” noting that a return to the office for workers would be among the highest priorities.

“What’s next? It has to be the return to work and to college. We are already back in school, but we need real life return.”

The Green Party leader noted that these reopenings would be done in a “gradual and safe way.”

The comments follow an optimistic note struck by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan during yesterday’s NPHET press conference, wherein he said: “We know that we would be experiencing many more cases and hospitalisations were it not for the great progress being made in taking up vaccination.

“We need to keep this up as we move to vaccinate the remaining, mostly younger, cohorts of our population.”

1,408 cases of Covid were reported in Ireland yesterday, and Holohan noted that at present we are seeing around 2% of cases result in hospitalisation.