The Taoiseach was wrong to say a recent change to covid laws did not target religious events, according to a professor of constitutional law at Trinity College Dublin.

Micheal Martin told the Dail Thursday that the latest criminal sanctions, introduced last week, for breaking covid restrictions covered all indoor events.

Oran Doyle however said the only gatherings affected by it are religious, and it catches both indoor and outdoor faith-events, even socially distanced hearing of confession.

He added that the convoluted wording of the ministerial order appeared to be an attempt to deliberately conceal its true purpose, which was to criminalise all religious events.

“But obfuscation a damning indictment of Gov’s respect for citizens’ autonomy. Suggests preference for vaguely articulating standards, then tricking citizens into compliance through calculated ambiguity about the dividing line between legal obligations and public health advice,” he added.