Return to sun holidays likely before end of the summer

People will have to wait to book foreign holidays as an exact timeline will not be announced along with a further easing of restrictions next week.

A return to foreign sun holidays is likely before the end of the summer after the Government said there was "good news on the horizon" in relation to international travel.

With domestic tourism expected to restart in June, allowing people to holiday in Ireland, the resumption of international travel could be permitted before the autumn.

The European Commission is working on a green pass system to allow people who are fully vaccinated or who are immune to Covid after contracting the virus to travel abroad as early as June.

While the Government has issued caution on the June date, the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Foreign Affairs Minister have signalled that a resumption of airline travel is on the cards.

Wait to book foreign holidays

But people will have to wait to book foreign holidays as an exact timeline will not be announced along with a further easing of restrictions next week.

"I do think over the summer months we will see a gradual change in relation to the approach on international travel but I certainly wouldn’t be advising anybody to be booking holidays. That’s very much contrary to the current advice,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney.

"I think that is still some way off but certainly that is where this is going in terms of facilitating international travel at some point in the future," he said.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said June would be too soon for widespread international travel to be allowed.

"As someone who misses travel and would love to see my sister in London again and would love to enjoy warm weather and the Mediterranean again, I just honestly think June is too soon," said Mr Varadkar.

I think we need to get into a position where we have our economy and society largely open first — get back to hospitality, religious gatherings, outdoor events. I think international travel comes after that." 

At a private meeting last night, members of Fine Gael called for a Dáil debate on the proposed EU-wide digital green certs to assist international travel when it is safe to do so.

Mr Varadkar warned the meeting it would be difficult to deliver on the promise to offer 80% of people a vaccine before the end of June if the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is restricted to the over 60s. He said further issues with supply could also result in vaccine delays.

His comments came just hours after the Taoiseach told the Dáil that the June deadline is still the target.

Micheál Martin told a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last night that if the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is cleared by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee for full use, it would allow for the full vaccination of 600,000 people by the second quarter.

It also emerged last night that family members of Pfizer's 4,000 staff in Ireland are to be offered the Covid-19 vaccine.

A spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company said this would not impact the national supplies to be delivered by the company as part of the Government's national vaccine rollout.

They said it will start in mid-May with immediate family/household members over 60 years initially and then progress to other age categories at a later stage.

Hairdressers, barbers, and non-essential retail are now expected to reopen from next month and the Taoiseach has signalled that religious services will be permitted from May.

Hairdressers and barbers have suffered a lot, retail has suffered a lot too. 

We have to look at what we can do in May for those sectors but we are conscious the numbers have to be kept down," said Mr Martin.

"We’ve given some indications around June already for one aspect of the hospitality — the hotels, guesthouses — nothing certain has been decided in relation to that and we will assess that in consultation with the public health authorities.

“I think we are in a good space. We’re in a much better space than we thought we would be, and that will help us in making decisions for May and for June," he said.