The Government will make a decision next week on when hairdressers can reopen, the Minister for Health has told the Dáil.
Simon Harris acknowledged there is a "mental health element" to the desire among people to visit hairdressers again.
He was responding to Fine Gael TD Kieran O'Donnell, who said that there is a "multitude of the public going around with hair down to their knees".
Mr Harris said: "It is likely the Government will consider that next week. I am hoping by the end of next week we will have a direct answer to the question."
Hairdressers are hoping to reopen on 29 June, a month sooner than originally scheduled under the plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions.
Minister for Health Simon Harris has said the Government will make a decision next week on when hairdressers can reopen, acknowledging there is a mental health element to wanting to visit hairdressers pic.twitter.com/2bks1HH6y4
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 11, 2020
Earlier this week, the Irish Hairdressers Federation published guidelines, which it says should allow hair salons to reopen safely in the Government's Phase 3 easing of the restrictions instead of Phase 4.
The federation said the 100 specific measures were developed after engagement with the HSE, the Health & Safety Authority and with the assistance of noted Irish health and safety experts.
Among the main recommendations in the guidelines are the extensive use of PPE for stylists and customers as well as Covid-19 training for all staff.
Around 25,000 people are employed in the hairdressing sector.
Lisa Eccles, Vice President of the Irish Hairdressers Federation and salon owner, has said many salons are "ready to go" if the Government was to announce an earlier reopening date.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime she said "a little extra support from the Government" would help salons to keep staffing at current levels and cover the cost of additional safety measures.
She said: "We are looking at a reduction in the capacity of what we can do, so a little bit of help would allow small business to continue to operate."
The minister also told the Dáil that the rate of transmission of Covid-19 has remained remarkably stable despite the lifting of some restrictions.
The R number, which is the measure of the average number of people that an infected person will infect, is between 0.4 and 0.8, Mr Harris said.
He said those modelling the rate are confident that it will remain below one this week.
"I am also very encouragingly being told that it is neither increasing nor decreasing, but that it is staying remarkably stable," Mr Harris said.
There has also been a reduction in the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospitals, which stands at 75 today, including 29 people in intensive care units.
He also said that the HSE has confirmed that there will restart dates for cancer screening programmes by the end of this month.
