Partners of pregnant women should be allowed attend the 20-week scan and be present at the birth of the baby, the HSE's Chief Clinical Officer has said.
Dr Colm Henry said hospitals, neo-natal and maternity units are now much safer places than they were in January, at the height of the third wave of the pandemic.
He said the HSE have written to all hospitals reminding them of this policy. The only reason the policy would not be implemented would be due to a local risk-assessment, he added.
Last week Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil that restrictions on partners accompanying women have "proven to be a very difficult issue for many people, and I acknowledge that".