The Director General of the Construction Industry Federation says he does not accept that construction should not reopen fully by 8 March and he hopes that common sense will prevail.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Tom Parlon said construction industry workplaces are "exemplary" and sites are safer than the community.
He said that 40% of construction has remained open throughout the latest lockdown and less than 20 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in these settings, which have been closely monitored by the HSE.
Mr Parlon said this proved that construction can operate safely. He said that there are very strict standard operating procedures in place that give strong directives to workers and added that both workers and employers are