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CABINET HAS TODAY agreed that all passengers arriving into Ireland will need a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before departure.
While the Government has yet to formally notify airlines, the new rules will kick in on Saturday.
Travellers from Britain and South Africa have had to provide a negative PCR test since last week.
Arrivals from Great Britain and South Africa will continue to require a negative/not detected PCR test and must continue to isolate for 14 days, even if they take a second test after arrival.
The Cabinet agreed last week that the provision should be extended to all passengers from all countries.
Sources said at the time that such a plan would take longer to roll out, but Cabinet agreed on the new measures this afternoon.
Passengers from green and amber regions will not have to restrict their movements once they have the negative results upon arrival in Ireland.
Those travelling from red regions or grey regions (which are countries not in teh EU traffic light system – such as the US) will need a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before they depart, and they will also have to take a test five days after landing in Ireland.
If they get a clear test after the five days they will no longer have to restrict movements.
If they do not take a second test they will have to restrict their movements for 14 days.
Checks will be made by the Border Management Unit at Dublin Airport and by the gardaí at other points of entry.
Passengers flying into Northern Ireland and travelling down to the Republic remains a key concern for the government, though sources welcomed that the UK is also pushing the requirement for a negative test being needed 72 hours prior to departure.
#JustPublished
— ECDC (@ECDC_EU) January 7, 2021
Updated 🚦 maps are now online!
These maps aim to support the @EUCouncil recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of #FreeMovement in response to the #COVID19 pandemic in the EU.
Find more here: https://t.co/CcBVx6B0o5 pic.twitter.com/yMZ8AGjZUt
A government source said Ireland needs to ensure connectivity for essential travel and cargo is maintained, and that any new rule would be consistent with the EU traffic light system.
While connectivity is expected to be lost under the travel regime, government sources believe it is the correct position to take with the number of cases so high in the country.
Ireland is signed up to the EU traffic lights approach on international travel.
There are also certain categories of travellers where the travel restrictions do not apply.
Exemptions include international transport workers, including hauliers, pilots and aviation crew, masters and maritime crew, and members of An Garda Síochána in the course of their duties.
Children under six will also be exempt.
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Why are comments being disabled on the majority of articles?
@DK: Why? Why is it in any way important whether an asylum seeker is single???
@Aidy McBride: It’s a shame, as I, like most people I would imagine, only come here for the comments. The actual news delivery isn’t great so if there’s no comments I can’t see The Journal lasting long.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: single as in coming on their own here and not as part of a family unit but you new that didn’t you? Just trying to deflect for some reason. Are these men going to want sexual relationships with women here? How many women in Ireland are going to want sexual relationships with asylum seekers, let’s be honest? Do you not think this might lead to issues down the road if we get 50k male asylum seekers every year and about 5k of women? Need to have some adult conversations in this country but too many like to try their best avoid it with deflection like yours and throwing around the racist word.
@DK: Jeez! How sexist can a comment get! You don’t seem tobe worried at all about the 5k women wanting ‘sexual relations’ with good Irish men!
@sean o’dhubhghaill: What’s sexist in my comment. Well those women will have a load of male asylum seekers to choose from if they so wish, not so much choice for the males.
@The next small thing: You’re on to something.
@Aidy McBride: Because of your incessant incendiary remarks.
@The next small thing: Either government or some such like intervention to stifle free speech seen as dangerous, and/or the emerging left liberal stance as seen in the previous iteration of Twitter. If one has to stifle free speech and a possible alternative viewpoint, one doubts ones own point of view.
@Aidy McBride: I guess the Journal doesn’t like free speech, however constructive. ‘The shape of things to come’.
@DK: men are being demonised and portrayed like animals! And that seems to be ok… WOW!! In the era of pc and being easily offended, it seems to be open season when it comes to passing remark on men.
Well what we have learned is that the middle are still being squeezed lifeless.
Voting in chancers like Haughey+Bertie was always going to end in tears. Bertie bought 2007 GE and people voted him in despite knowing about his ‘dig outs’. We as voters own the crash too.
Same with Johnson, Trump, Bolsonara.
@James Gorman: FF and Jack Lynch ‘bought’ the 1977 election too, and we, as a nation, are STILL suffering from and struggling with the mad decision to abolish local rates.
I know loads of people in Brand new houses that don’t and never have worked..They seem to squeeze in a feed of pints every day though.
@Redseat92: That’s our politicians for you. Mind you, those are subsidised pints.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: Most underrated comment!
Still paying for it via austerity taxes, (property tax an usc)and those born during the time the banks needed us to give them a loan are about to join the workforce and will also be paying for that bailout.
Also it was only around 2016/17 when markets normalised, not 2013. And we still await taxes normalising. So we are essentially living in those times.
Great nuanced well researched article.
More of this please
@Niamh Hayes: Haha.
My heart bleeds for the squeezed middle and working poor I ALMOST can’t blame them when they turn septic and declare themselves a single parent and go on the housing list.
How can they ever afford a house when they have to compete with councils buying units to give away to welfare tourists.
have your say