Decision on easing travel rules delayed as Varadkar says it’s ‘too soon’ to book flights
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has warned it’s “too soon” to book holiday flights after the Government postponed a decision on easing international travel restrictions for two weeks.
Proposals are being developed for easing restrictions on travel to EU countries.
Measures being considered to open up Ireland’s skies again include possible temperature checks for passengers at airports and a reliance on contact tracing. One suggested date for easing restrictions is understood to be the end of June.
But the Cabinet postponed the decision on the matter over concerns that allowing international travel again could see coronavirus cases imported into Ireland.
The situation will be reviewed again in a fortnight.
The decision comes despite calls from the travel industry for the restrictions to be eased and airlines like Ryanair selling flights for July.
Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary has been critical of the 14-day quarantine for visitors to Ireland as he seeks to get his fleet flying again.
But Mr Varadkar last night advised that it’s too early to consider booking flights for a holiday. “I think almost everyone in the country would love to be booking a flight at the moment,” he said.
“But it’s too soon, really, for people to book flights.”
He said there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to travel and “a very strong possibility” they will have to quarantine for two weeks on return.
The Taoiseach said: “For now, the advice remains the same – don’t travel off the island for tourism, don’t come to the island for tourism.”
Ministers considered the status of Ireland’s travel restrictions after the European Commission recommended lifting internal EU border controls on the continent from Monday.
Proposals for easing travel restrictions here include allowing travel to and from countries that have suppressed the virus at the same levels as Ireland.
Work is being carried out to prepare airports and ports for the lifting of restrictions. The possibility that passengers will be screened for coronavirus symptoms using temperature checks is under consideration.
Passengers with symptoms or those who develop them in the days after arriving would have to go into self-isolation and contact tracing will be important as the restrictions ease.
Decisions on the easing restrictions have been put off for two weeks. A source said ministers felt it was “too soon” for Ireland to open up for international travel, adding: “We are down to a small number of cases every day but there remains a real risk of importing the virus again.”
Speaking after Cabinet, Mr Varadkar said the Government wanted to be in a position to “agree air bridges to allow travel between Ireland and other countries where the virus is also successfully suppressed.” He said this needed to be co-ordinated on an EU level and the government would also talk to the UK on the easing of restrictions
Last night, the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) called on the Government to relax travel restrictions in time for the summer peak.
Chief executive Pat Dawson said: “There is no basis for maintaining the advice against travel when every other industry is opening up in Ireland. The travel sector has been hit the hardest by the pandemic and we are concerned that we will be the last industry to get a restart date.
“This delay easing travel restrictions will further hurt our industry, as Irish customers will be forced to wait to book their holidays.”
‘There remains a real risk of importing the virus again’