The Taoiseach says he will engage with the entertainment and live music sector tomorrow to “work out” certain issues in the Government’s reopening plan.

peaking on RTÉ Six One, Micheal Martin said certain elements need to be worked out like the issue of indoor events having to be fully seated.

He said the night time economy and the music and entertainment sector has taken an “awful hit”.

“We want to engage with the industry tomorrow and we’ll see what’s possible. That’s the position right now we want to engage with people genuinely and understand their concerns and work it out. We understand people have made plans and we appreciate that.

“We want now to reopen these remaining sectors, we do accept their need for clarity but please work with the Department of Tourism and we’ll work it out,” he said.

Mr Martin said the Government were not anticipating the rise in case numbers.

“Two weeks ago we weren’t anticipating this turn of events and it was only last Wednesday actually that senior officials across Government were advised by public health officials that there had been a turn for the worse in terms of high hospitalisations and admissions to ICUs.

“Some say Delta had taken route prior to us getting maximum vaccination, that we’re close to Britain where the rates of Delta are very high, but these are somewhat speculative reasoning by experts, and I think it is fair to say that it’s been a cause for concern,” he said.

He added: “We got the Nphet letter last night, we have gradually and steadily reopened society and effectively as well working with sectors and I would say to the sectors work with us over the coming days, I understand the time is short and we will work this out just like we worked it out for hospitality over the summer.”

The Taoiseach said an enhanced form of compliance will be worked on tomorrow to ensure all businesses are asking for proof of vaccination and identification.

“Tomorrow there will be a meeting of the regulatory forum to work through an enhanced form of compliance and enforcement to make sure people are adhering to the guidelines.

“I think there’s a responsibility in all of us if I’m going into a restaurant and someone doesn’t ask for my Covid certificate we should ask why not.

“We’ve enabled the reopening of the economy to such an extent that the economy has come back faster and in a more productive way then we would have anticipated two months ago. There are risks attached here the numbers are increasing.

“The real key message is that we all have to double down and just behave sensibly in terms of protecting ourselves and the wider society from this terrible disease,” he said.