The anticipated move towards more widespread remote working is an opportunity to look afresh at issues around working time and work-life balance, according to Fórsa.

Fórsa has welcomed health department clarification of its advice on the need to quarantine library books, and says this should lead to a standard approach across Ireland’s local authorities.

Fórsa has called for an urgent meeting with local government employers after they threatened to renege on agreed pay increases for civil defence officers.

More than a million people have now downloaded the Covid-19 tracker app, which was launched by the HSE on Tuesday.

Over a million people are still dependent on State income supports, according to official figures, although 63,000 stopped claiming the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) last week.

Ireland’s CervicalCheck programme has restarted after a 17-week suspension due to Covid-19. The HSE expects cervical smear appointments suspended during the coronavirus period to be completed by the end of October.

Post-pandemic economic reconstruction is an opportunity to create a more equal society where all work is valued, according to president Michael D Higgins.