Around 800 people arrived at Dublin Airport on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said - with nearly half of them returning holidaymakers.
He told the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party that nearly half, 397, were returning from holiday destinations.
Some 542 of the arrivals were Irish citizens.
On Tuesday the Government introduced tighter travel restrictions and extended Ireland's third lockdown until March 5.
The new measures include mandatory quarantine at a designated facility for people who arrive in Ireland without a negative PCR test taken in the past 72 hours.
Travellers arriving without a negative test could also face a fine of 2,500 euro or a six-month prison sentence.
Visa-free short-term travel from South Africa and South America is suspended until at least March 5.
Viewers of RTE's Prime Time this week were left fuming after footage showed returning holidaymakers coming back despite the pandemic.
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