FFP3 and FFP2 masks are recommended.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) says higher-grade face masks may offer more protection to people at greater risk of getting Covid-19.
NPHET has advised that people can choose to wear FFP3 and the slightly lower-grade FFP2 respirator or medical masks instead of cloth masks.
It says FFP2 masks should be considered by anyone who's a confirmed case, a household contact or visiting a vulnerable person.
But it's stopped short of recommending them to everyone ahead of cloth masks.
The State’s use of the higher-grade masks lags other countries such as Germany, Austria and Italy, that have introduced the use of FFP2 or equivalent masks in public spaces.
Paul Moynagh, Professor of Immunology at Maynooth University, says there's clear evidence they're a better option:
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