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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Ian Mangan

Taoiseach confirms Ireland lockdown announcement on pubs, sport and travel due next week

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said that a "comprehensive plan" will be laid out for the further easing of Covid-19 restrictions in July.

Currently, the Government has announced lockdown easing plans as far as June.

However, there are still questions around the return of indoor dining, sport, mass gatherings, theatres, cinemas and international travel.

However, the Taoiseach has moved to ensure that a statement will be made on further plans for June and July for easing Covid restrictions.

Mr Martin told the Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday night that there will be a comprehensive statement next week from the Government on the easing of Covid-19 restrictions over June and July, and how that will impact travel, aviation, entertainment and sport.

Mr Martin said: "We are in a different space with vaccination and as a small open economy aviation is really important.

"We must ensure connectivity for tourism, the economy and future growth."

The departure gates at Terminal 1, Dublin Airport (Collins Photo Agency, Dublin)

He added that Ireland administered around 280,000 vaccines over the past week and should hit a million vaccines in the month of May.

Speaking in the Dail on Wednesday, Mr Martin said that “every effort will be made” to reopen international travel to Irish people as soon as possible.

He added that “no effort will be spared to get international travel re-established".

Meanwhile, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has told his Fine Gael colleagues that there should be a plan for a return to international travel at Cabinet before the end of this month.

It comes as Mr Varadkar said earlier this week that it would be “August at the earliest” before non-essential international travel can take place again.

In a letter to his parliamentary party meeting and seen by the Irish Mirror, Mr Varadkar said there will be a need to incentivise the return of airlines to the skies.

He said: “We should have a plan for a return to international travel at cabinet before the end of May as I indicated to you several weeks ago.

“We will also need to incentivise the return of airlines to our skies."

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