Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport Marc Mac Sharry TD has today called on Minister Shane Ross to clarify the government’s position on people travelling abroad for summer holidays, following major airlines’ deciding to resume flights.
Deputy MacSharry explained, “Irish citizens are getting conflicting messages from airlines and the government. For example, Ryanair has announced that it will resume 40% of its summer schedule from July 1st 2020. In total, this represents nearly 1,000 flights across 90% of its usual network.
“As a result, many Irish people now hold reservations for flights that will be departing from the 1st of July onwards. For various reasons, many of these citizens no longer wish to travel abroad which is very understandable.
“Serious restrictions remain on international travel. The Department of Foreign Affairs has advised against all non-essential travel abroad until further notice. That has ramifications for people’s travel insurance. In addition, the government has raised the introduction of a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for all people flying into Ireland from abroad. Some popular destinations for holidaymakers, such as Spain, are also requiring all arrivals to quarantine for 2 weeks upon entry.
“Finally, until at least July 20th, people are being asked to remain within 20 km of their home. Flying to Portugal via Dublin Airport hardly satisfies that restriction.
“Irish people need guidance on this and on what their rights and options are if they no longer wish to travel. Earlier this year, many airlines offered free flight changes to their customers so that people could easily rebook to travel at a later date. Given that the coronavirus is ongoing, this should be looked at again.”
