A temporary relaxation of European Union driving and resting times for heavy goods vehicle drivers has been agreed due to staff shortages caused by the ongoing Omicron wave.
The Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority said the move was because of the importance of "ensuring continuity of supply chains, the importance of the road haulage sector to the economy and in response to requests from the haulage industry".
It see rules around fortnightly driving limits increased from 90 hours to 112 hours, as well as a relaxing in the rules relating to weekly rest periods.
Minister of State for Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD, said: "We have granted a temporary relaxation of the EU driving time and resting time rules due to the impact the Covid-19 Omicron variant is having on HGV operations.
"Crucially, these relaxation measures maintain a balance between driver welfare, operator flexibility, road safety and minimising disruption to supply chains.
"These arrangements will be kept under continual review."
Ms Naughton added: "I want to stress however, that driver safety and other road users' safety must not be compromised at any stage.
"I want to thank all in our haulage and logistics sector for their continued hard work during this challenging period. Their resilience and commitment ensures that our shelves remain stocked and our chains of supply for food and essential goods keep moving."
The derogation will apply up to 30 January 2022 and will be reviewed every week.
