The future of Ireland’s travel guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic remains unclear as the country’s green list will approve no countries from Monday and the finalisation of an EU-wide traffic light system remains under discussion.
Yesterday saw the announcement that the four remaining states on the list allowing a quarantine exemption for incoming travellers will expire from midnight on Sunday, as Covid-19 case figures soar across Europe.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that Ireland continues to work with EU partners to finalise negotiations on a traffic light system to co-ordinate travel within the union, with countries set to receive a colour rating depending on their level of the virus.
With airline Ryanair threatening to close its bases in Cork and Shannon airports for the winter if the Government fails to align with the EU’s travel policy, the plan will be under discussion at a meeting of the EU’s general affairs council in Brussels on Tuesday.
It’s not clear whether all of the countries will adopt it but I’m pretty confident that Ireland will do so. I think it is possible to be adopted on Tuesday.
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has said he is confident Ireland will adopt the EU system for more unrestricted travel.
“I think we have to as a nation make an ethical decision about balancing, on the one hand, the overwhelming interest in protecting public health, but also protecting the real economy, SMEs, people who are put to the pin of their collar now,” he said.
“It’s a really tough job to do and I think one of the elements in which we can help to do that correctly is by adopting this traffic light system.”
Mr Andrews said he believed the plan could be adopted as soon as Tuesday: “It’s not clear whether all of the countries will adopt it but I’m pretty confident that Ireland will do so. I think it is possible to be adopted on Tuesday.”
Concerns
However, concerns remain that the Government will not fully align with the new traffic light system, following its previous deviation from EU policy earlier in the pandemic as it kept its borders open while those around the continent closed.
“It doesn’t look like we’re going to properly align with this, it looks like a soundbite, and next week we could be back in the same situation with no policy as you say for the travel industry, no ability for the aviation industry to plan and a big question mark over, for instance, Cork and Shannon airports, “ editor of Travel Extra, Eoghan Corry, said.
Aside from countries branded green by the proposed new traffic light system for EU member states, the Government’s Living with Covid-19 plan says it will continue to advise against non-essential travel to and from other countries.
The European Commission has proposed that entry should not be refused to travellers coming from “high-risk” member states under the system, with quarantine periods or Covid-19 testing after arrival implemented instead.
The new system could open up most regions of the continent to travel without quarantine, as testing would be favoured.
The Government’s Living with Covid-19 plan also says that protection of Ireland’s Common Travel Area with the UK is an “important priority objective” with discussions ongoing.
