Ryanair: NPHET keeping Ireland 'locked up like North Korea'

Ryanair: 'Irish aviation and tourism cannot delay another week or month while Micheál Martin dithers and delays or while NPHET mismanages Ireland’s test and tracing system.'

Ryanair also called for the 'Green List' of countries which have been deemed to be safe for people to travel to, to be published immediately. File Picture/PA

Ryanair says that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is keeping Ireland "locked up like North Korea."

The airline, which has long been critical of the government's policies, today accused the Taoiseach and the government of creating "more delay and indecision" with the announcement of today's new living with Covid-19 plan.

Ryanair also called for the government's 'Green List' of countries which have been deemed to be safe for people to travel to, to be published immediately. 

In a statement issued this afternoon, the company said: "We need Ireland’s Green List updated TODAY and to include all lower Covid case EU countries including Germany, Sweden, and Poland.

"Irish aviation and tourism cannot delay another week or month while Micheál Martin dithers and delays or while NPHET mismanages Ireland’s test and tracing system. 

Irish aviation and jobs are being sacrificed to cover up NPHET’s failure to keep our Covid rate as low as Germany and Italy, both of whom have allowed intra EU air travel since July 1, while NPHET has kept Ireland locked up like North Korea.

Today's living with Covid-19 plan has also been ctiticised by the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA). 

Writing on Twitter, the group said that "nothing has changed" as regards the Irish travel sector. 

The @ITAATweets have expressed their disappointment in relation to the Government’s Resilience and Recovery plan, stating that nothing has changed regarding the current situation for the Irish travel sector.

Read more here: https://t.co/fZY3D3Czkh

— Irish Travel Agents Association (@ITAATweets) September 15, 2020

ITAA CEO, Pat Dawson, said: “We were disappointed to hear that there will be no further updates on the travel industry until October 13 - a whole month away from now. 

"We believe that the government are simply postponing outcomes, and putting the Irish travel industry on the long finger, which will lead to another month filled with stress and uncertainty for our member travel agents. 

"These current travel restrictions provide no relief to either inbound or outbound travel, which will have a knock-on effect on the Irish travel industry well into the future,” he added.