Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the chair of the
all-party Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group the Government is currently looking
at ways to relax the 14-day quarantine rule.
The latest development comes as Shannon Airport prepares to resume scheduled
passenger operations from next Wednesday, July 1.
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey warmly welcomed the news the airport is to resume
operations on a 24-hour basis over the coming days. Deputy Carey is also the
interim chair of the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group and has highlighted the
serious challenges facing the airport repeatedly in the Dáil in recent months.
Deputy Carey said: “The return of passenger flights in and out of Shannon
is obviously great news for the airport and all its employees, but also for
many businesses and companies in Clare and the wider region. The entire West
coast of the country depends hugely on tourism traffic provided by the airport
and local industry and the significant FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] presence
in the Mid-West and western regions depends greatly on the connectivity it
provides.”
The Clare TD met with the
Taoiseach this week in Government Buildings and raised
the challenges facing Shannon Airport.
Deputy Carey added: “The Taoiseach told me his officials are currently
looking at potential ways to relax the 14-day quarantine rule, which is vital
if full services are to return to Shannon and other airports. Some of the
measures being looked at include opening up ‘safe corridors’ of travel to countries where they have successfully contained the virus. I
would expect that the 14-day quarantine rule will be relaxed for incoming passengers
travelling from named European Countries where the virus has been supressed and
that we will hear progress in this regard at the end of next week.”
Deputy Carey also called on Aer Lingus to give a firm commitment that it will
resume the Shannon-Heathrow route now that the airport is reopening on a
full-time basis.
He said it is “not acceptable” that Shannon continues to be treated
differently to Dublin and Cork, where Aer Lingus has kept its Heathrow routes
operational.
Deputy Carey added: “I understand Aer Lingus is facing some stark
challenges in light of the pandemic, but we need now to hear a commitment from
our national flag carrier in relation to the return of the strategic
Shannon-Heathrow route. There is no reason for the Heathrow route to remain
suspended now the airport is reopening on a 24-hour basis.”
