UPDATE 1-Ireland eyes phased exit from COVID-19 curbs in time for Christmas

* Ireland has second lowest infection rate in Europe

* Government to advise on international travel by end-Nov

* Public knows Christmas will be different, PM says
(Adds detail, quotes)

By Padraic Halpin

DUBLIN, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Ireland may take a staged
approach to lifting COVID-19 restrictions from Dec. 1 in the
run-up to Christmas to allow families to celebrate in a
"meaningful way", Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Friday.

Non-essential retailers were shut and restaurants and pubs
limited to takeaway three weeks ago under Level 5 curbs, with
the aim of returning to Level 3 by reopening all shops while
allowing outdoor food and drink service only for small numbers
of people.

A sharp fall in infection rates prompted Martin to suggest
earlier this week that the government may be able to reopen more
of the economy than under a strict application of Level 3, and
on Friday he raised the additional prospect of a phased exit.

"There may be a staged approach after Dec. 1. If we can get
the numbers way down, we'll obviously have to look at that
specific Christmas period and the week leading up to Christmas
because I do get that people will want to meet with family,"
Martin told national broadcaster RTE.

"Our sense from the research we're doing is (that) the
public get it, it won't be the same Christmas as last year. Not
everybody, if I use the phrase, will be on the lash (getting
drunk) for Christmas."

Martin also said the government would by the end of the
month issue advice on international travel for the Christmas
period after his deputy, Leo Varadkar, urged people on Thursday
not to book flights home yet.

Ireland is easing some of the EU's toughest national travel
restrictions, including a cut in quarantine for arrivals from
hard-hit "red" regions of Britain and the EU to as little as
five days from 14 if they test negatively.

"At this moment, people should wait...Where will
(neighbouring) Britain be in three weeks time? All of Europe is
red at the moment, we don't really want lots of people
travelling from red zones into Ireland at the moment," Martin
said, adding that many will voluntarily choose not to travel.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Mark Heinrich)