The Tanaiste says today marks another milestone in our pathway out of the pandemic.
People no longer have to wear facemasks in shops, public transport or in schools.
Leo Varadkar says it's especially significant for anyone working in a customer facing role.
Retail Ireland Director, Arnold Dillon says the lifting of the facemask requirement in shops is great news:
"It's really positive that we can do that with the full support of the public health advice.
"I think social distancing and the wearing of masks has unfortunately but necessarily diminished the shopping experience over the last couple of years.
"We've found that people have spent less time in shops, spent less time browsing and spent less time interacting with staff and it's great that we've now got a return to a more normal environment."
