The decision to cancel the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin - and also other parades around the country - is disappointing but understandable. The St Patrick's Day celebrations are a cornerstone of the Irish tourism calendar.

The decision to cancel the 2020 staging comes as a huge disappointment to businesses in the Dublin region - as it will do to the many hundreds of thousands of people due to enjoy parades over the coming period. However, the seriousness of the current situation regarding the Coronavirus and the advice of health experts has to be respected.

Dublin Chamber is calling on all businesses to continue to share HSE updates and advice with their employees and to put contingency plans in place where possible.