The latest round of lockdown will give the health service breathing room to get 125,000 nursing home residents and healthcare workers vaccinated.
The government says its strategy now is "delay and vaccinate" to guard against the more infectious new strain which originated in the UK.
The Taoiseach says all 75,000 staff and residents at nursing homes and another 50,000 healthcare workers should have received two doses by the middle of February.
Micheal Martin says Ireland will be getting enough doses to start making a difference for those at the greatest risk.
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