Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he does not believe that making it mandatory to wear a mask indoors would change the current Covid-19 situation.
This is despite repeated calls from doctors and nurses working on the frontline for the reintroduction of some measures to tackle the latest surge in Covid-19.
Mr Martin said the new BA.2 variant is highly transmissible, but does not appear to be damaging health in the same way as earlier variants.
