Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Then additional connectivity was agreed to Barcelona and Paris. One expects it will not be business as usual straight away and that airports will consolidate around key hubs. For Aer Lingus that is Dublin and, perhaps, increasingly Manchester rather than Shannon and Cork. Obviously, Ireland is not a Schengen state. Schengen states will pretty soon allow in American passengers who are vaccinated and can show they are vaccinated. However, am I right in saying there is nothing to stop Ireland doing that tomorrow morning for persons who are vaccinated? A number of EU member states are allowing in passengers who are either vaccinated or can demonstrate they have immunity through having contracted and recovered from Covid. Greece, for example, and I think most other southern EU states are essentially allowing flights as of now. There is nothing to stop us. It is merely that we are hostage to the zero Covid fanatics in Ireland.