With tougher sanctions on the way for people jetting off on holidays abroad, Newstalk reporter Henry McKean went to Dublin Airport to find out just who is arriving into the country.
The Taoiseach Micheál Martin last night vowed to clamp down on foreign holidays – telling the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party that nearly half the 800 people who flew in to Dublin on Monday came from holiday destinations.
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has warned that holidays abroad are not essential – and could jeopardise Ireland’s fight against COVID-19.
At Dublin Airport this morning, Newstalk reporter Henry McKean talked to passengers arriving into the country from far-flung destinations including Dubai, Oman and New Zealand.
This passenger, arriving in from Dubai said he doesn’t understand what the fuss is about when it comes to international travel.
“If you are able to get a test to say you haven’t got it, you haven’t got it,” he said.
“They are saying it is not really a travel thing, it is community infections, so I don’t know why they are putting a travel ban on.
“If you are getting a PCR test, you are clear.”
Quarantine
Many of the passengers were arriving back from the Conor McGregor fight in Abu Dhabi – including a number of his team-members.
This man said he has no problem with tighter restrictions on travel – and plans to isolate for two weeks when he gets home to Sligo.
“I suppose we have all to do our bit and play by the rules if we want to keep the country safe,” he said.
“We have done about five or six different COVID tests ourselves in the last few days coming over and back – but everyone has got to do their part to stay safe.”
Travel ban
He said a full-on travel ban would not be workable.
“To be honest, we have got to wait until the vaccine comes out and there is going to have to still be travel,” he said.
“The world still has to move on; we can’t all be stuck at home all of our lives. We have done our bit, we’ve all done our quarantines, we’ve all done our lockdowns – but we all need a break sometimes a well.”
Concern
Another woman, arriving in from New Zealand, said she is more worried about picking the virus up in Ireland than bringing it in with her.
“In New Zealand you have to go into quarantine for two weeks,” she said.
“I’m a bit concerned we could pick it up now but I’m not concerned about bringing it because there is no community COVID there.
“The only cases are in quarantine and they have come in from other countries. We have one in the community and it was someone that come in from overseas but she hasn’t transmitted to anyone else apparently.”
You can listen back to Henry’s full report here:
