Government unable to provide Christmas travel clarity for another two weeks

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said he understands that people want to book flights but the government cannot advise whether it is safe to do so yet. File Picture.

The Government will not be able to provide definite advice on Christmas foreign travel for another two weeks, the Foreign Affairs Minister has said.

Simon Coveney urged the public to "refocus" over the next two weeks to ensure the numbers of infections decrease. It comes as the five-day case count jumped to over 400 per day.

"Everybody wants to be in a place in two weeks time when we can look forward to a Christmas that is as as positive as it possibly can be."

He said it's "understandable" that some people have already booked flights home as many have not seen loved ones in many months and Christmas is a time when people come together.

However, he said the Government "simply isn't ready yet" to give advice and they need to see the figures "significantly improve on where they are today".

Mr Coveney said when a Covid vaccine is approved, the Government "will be ready" to roll it out as quickly as possible, but he said he didn't want to raise expectations in terms of dates, without being able to back that up.

He added that the Government needs to "be open to any new thinking" around Covid measures and restrictions.

Asked about reports of large numbers of people drinking on the street in Dublin over the weekend, Mr Coveney said: "The Government has got to respond as things develop.

"So I think we will have an open mind when the Government meets this week as to whether we need to have further conversations with our public health team in terms of trying to get to where we need to be by the start of December, when hopefully we will see a big change in terms of the level of restriction, so that people can look forward to Christmas in a positive way."

Meanwhile, Mr Coveney said he is hopeful of a Brexit deal but said he "won't be shocked if it all falls apart".

As crunch negotiations continue, Mr Coveney warned that if a breakthrough is not made in the next 10 days then "we really are in trouble" and the focus will shift to a no-deal scenario.

"I think we very much are finally at the end game now. We are simply running out of time," Mr Coveney said.

Pointing to the fact that there are now just 40 days left until Britain leaves the EU, he said even if a deal is reached the ratification process will take time.

"This is a very difficult agreement to finalise, but it's doable, and the consequences of not getting a deal done really are very very significant for Britain, but also for Ireland."

He said there are "two big obstacles" currently preventing a deal, the first is fair competition between both sides and the second is fishing which is "highly emotive".

"Fishing is important to the EU coastal communities and fishing communities are important, as they are for the UK. 

"So, there is going to be a need for a compromise here on both sides. I think the British government understand only too well what's required for a deal this week. The real question is whether the political appetite is there to do it," he told Newstalk Breakfast.

Mr Coveney said the departure of Boris Johnson's key adviser Dominic Cummings is an obstacle but not a core obstacle.