Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It would be very important that he meets the Government and it is something on which we would work with him.

Second, Mr. Walsh spoke about Ireland having the most oppressive travel policy anywhere in the world. Can he elaborate on that point? In that context, the Government is about to announce a reopening time for aviation. What are the benchmarks that he would like to see? He spoke about certainty. I am a Deputy representing Limerick City and Shannon Airport is of great importance to us but there is also a question here if the aviation sector can reopen. I would like to see goodwill to Shannon to resume both the Heathrow and transatlantic services with the cabin crew in Shannon but until such time as aviation is up and running, it is more difficult to have those discussions.

Taking into account the resumption of the common travel area with ourselves and the UK, Mr. Walsh also spoke about the US, about the digital green certificate and vaccination. When does he anticipate that Joe Biden as President of America, his Administration and officials, will allow people to fly to the US from Europe without the restrictions? We are at a point now where the digital green certificate is coming in at the end of June and we are looking at a six-week lead-in period. Can Mr. Walsh then map out what is the latest time that aviation needs to get the green light in order that it can actually survive?

I know I am drilling down but I think we need to get into detail. Could Mr. Walsh map out why he regards Ireland as an outlier? What does he want to see in the Government's reopening plan that is realistic because at the end of the day, there are public health issues here? How does he see it operating with the members of IATA in terms of public health, flying in and out of the UK and transatlantic destinations, the timeframe involved, linking in with the digital green certificate and other measures like PCR and rapid antigen testing?