The government is introducing legislation to reopen the hospitality sector “in a cautious but progressive manner”.

Ministers said a decision has been made to ease restrictions on indoor hospitality for people who are fully protected by vaccination or who have recovered from Covid-19 in the previous six months.

People will be able to avail of indoor services on the presentation of verifiable evidence of vaccination or immunity status.

The new Digital Covid Certificates (DCC) for international travel will be accepted as proof of being fully vaccinated. Other medical documentation, not yet clarified, will also be accepted as confirmation of vaccination status.

For visitors to Ireland outside the EU, including the US, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a nationally certified equivalent can be used for the purposes of verifying the vaccination or immunity status.

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Ministers also indicated that children under-18 accompanied by a vaccinated or recovered adult parent or guardian will also be permitted to dine in a restaurant or pub.

However, social distancing measures will remain mandatory in hotels, bars and restaurants. Detailed operational guidelines for reopening will be published by Fáilte Ireland in the coming days. The latest guidelines will emphasise the importance of implementing effective ventilation in premises.

No date has been set for the reopening of indoor hospitality. Officials indicated the timing will be dependent the passage of the legislation through the Oireachtas over the coming days.