Ryanair, Ireland’s largest airline, today (09^th Oct) called on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to immediately adopt – today – the EU “Traffic Light” Travel System, under which the ECDC confirms it is safe to travel to 16 EU countries. This comes on a day when Ireland’s mismanaged Green List is cut from 4 to 0 countries.

Ireland, which has been locked up like North Korea since 1 July, has failed to manage the Covid-19 crisis and the Island is now cut off from Europe, despite a High Court ruling last week which confirmed the Government’s quarantine restriction has no legal basis, is not a requirement for travel and is only advisory.

Ryanair called on Minister Ryan to stop wasting time and immediately adopt the EU’s “Traffic Light” System. Under this system, Irish citizens will be free to fly safely to 15 other EU countries, and visitors from those 15 countries (many of which have lower Covid case rates than Ireland), will be free to travel to Ireland in a safe and healthy manner.

Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said:

“Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has done nothing for aviation or connectivity to/from Ireland for the past 3 months. He has still not implemented any of the 12 recommendations of his own Government’s Aviation Task Force, which submitted its report on 7^th July, over 3 months ago.

He keeps promising to adopt the EU “Traffic Light” System, even while he has cut Ireland’s Green List to zero countries! Ireland’s aviation and tourism industries need leadership. As Transport Minister of an Island economy, Minister Ryan must take urgent action to defend and restore connectivity, not destroy them.

The High Court last week ruled that Ireland’s 14 day quarantine was not a legal requirement or an obligation, but just “advisory”. It’s time Minister Ryan took action to protect and preserve Ireland’s transport connectivity to its EU trading partners.

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