A new survey has found that 83 per cent of adults were surprised that the National Health Emergency Team (Nphet) gave approval for easing of restrictions.
The Government recently removed most Covid restrictions, following advice from Nphet.
However, an iReach survey found 51 per cent would have liked a phased lifting of restrictions and 29 per cent think all restrictions should be lifted straight away. Nineteen per cent think it’s too early to make big changes to restrictions.
The majority (83 per cent) of adults were surprised that Nphet gave the green light to end most restrictions so soon and 33 per cent were very surprised.
Valentine's Day
With the restrictions being lifted for hospitality 28 per cent are more likely now to go out for Valentine's Day, the survey found. However, 56 per cent of adults have no plans or will do the same as last year.
Over half (55 per cent) of adults plan to go to a restaurant on Valentine's Day, 32 per cent are planning on going to a pub/bar and 5 per cent are going to a friend/partner’s house.
Surveys from iReach include a Consumer Decisions Research Panel of 40,000 members in Ireland, delivering 'robust research insights'.
The survey questions were included in the Nationally Representative iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus run from January 20th-27th.
Brendan Kelly, a Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, has studied the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on mental health in Ireland.
In a previous interview with BreakingNews.ie, Prof Kelly said: "It is psychologically unsatisfactory to blame a virus, so we do tend to blame people, we blame politicians or Nphet, we blame people we see walking around without masks. It is emotionally unsatisfactory to blame a virus, so we do tend to seek humans, and we disproportionately blame them."
