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The most patriotic thing Irish people can do on St Patrick\u2019s Day is stay at home, the Higher Education Minister has said.<\/p>\nThe most patriotic thing Irish people can do on St Patrick\u2019s Day is stay at home, the Higher Education Minister has said.<\/p>\n
Simon Harris urged people not to jeopardize the progress that has been made by celebrating St Patrick\u2019s Day by gathering together, as it could lead to delays in reopening the country.<\/p>\n
Mr Harris said: \u201cWhat I would suggest tomorrow \u2013 the most patriotic thing people can actually do in terms of our national battle against Covid-19 is stick to the public health advice.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause in about two weeks\u2019 time the Government wants to be able to sit down with our public health experts and work out what the next few weeks look like and we desperately want to be able to see some of the harshest restrictions eased.<\/p>\n
\u201cParticularly, and I don\u2019t want to exceed expectations here, but particularly things like the five kilometers, which is really punitive and really difficult for people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to see construction start to come back and people be able to do that little bit more outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy message, the Government\u2019s message, the chief medical officer\u2019s message, is: Let\u2019s not do anything tomorrow that risks that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he was \u201creally confident\u201d that if the public followed the public health advice there would be a \u201cslow, steady and gradual\u201d reopening of the country in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t set our country back for the sake of a day, for the sake of a special occasion,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Harris made the comments as he marked 3,000 apprenticeship applications under the Government\u2019s Apprenticeship Incentivization Scheme.<\/p>\n
The Government introduced the scheme last July in an attempt to \u201cramp back up\u201d the number of apprenticeships in the country.<\/p>\n
Employers are paid a \u20ac3,000 grant for every apprenticeship they take on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe now have 3,000 apprenticeships that have signed up,\u201d Mr Harris said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has far exceeded our expectations. I\u2019m really encouraged by that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so important that we change the conversation around apprenticeships and that we promote them at every single opportunity,\u201d Mr Harris added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not an alternative to third-level. It is third-level. It\u2019s just a different way of learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he was delighted that companies like Bus Eireann were offering apprenticeships.<\/p>\n
For the next two weeks people can apply to become an apprentice in Bus Eireann.<\/p>\n