The government in the Republic of Ireland has agreed a phased relaxation of its highest level of COVID-19 lockdown rules over the coming weeks and months. The country has been at Level Five restrictions since Christmas.

From 10 May, close-contact services and click-and-collect retail can resume and people can travel outside their county.

Hairdressers and barbers will also be allowed to reopen on 10 May while team sports training will resume.

To allow grandparents meet their grandchildren and extended families, a vaccinated household can meet indoors with an unvaccinated one.

Up to 50 people will be allowed to attend weddings, funerals and other religious services.

By 10 May, the government also expects all construction to resume, while all shops will reopen on 17 May. Hotels and guest houses will be permitted to trade from 2 June.

All pubs, regardless of whether they serve food, along with restaurants are set to open up for outdoor service five days later on 7 June.

The relaxation is premised on containing the new variants of coronavirus and a massive acceleration of the vaccination programme which is way behind target and compares unfavorably with Northern Ireland's rate of vaccinations.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil (Irish parliament) on Wednesday that the government hoped it would "get close" to its target of having more than 80 percent of the population with a first vaccine dose by the end of June and 55 percent fully vaccinated.

That requires an average of a million people to be vaccinated in April, May and June but ministers and officials concede that they now expect just over 700,000 jabs to be administered by the end of April.

(With input from agencies)