Up to 400,000 Irish people in Britain are to be given the green light to visit family and friends at home for the first time in six months as Ireland prepares to lift the strictest border controls in Europe.
Only those with essential reasons such as haulage, health or funeral attendance have been allowed to enter the country since the border restrictions were imposed in January.
Travel from Ireland to the rest of the EU is being opened on 19 July in line with bloc policy. The transport minister, Eamon Ryan, has indicated this will also include travel from Great Britain.
“I think travel with the UK will become much easier, particularly for those who are vaccinated from the 19th,” Ryan told RTÉ.
He also said those who have been double vaccinated arriving from Britain will no longer have to quarantine, though this has yet to be confirmed as government policy.
Nonetheless, travel inquiries have surged as Irish families jump on the chance of a trip home.
Google trends showed a 550% rise in searches for Aer Lingus with a 650% rise on Friday for the generic search phrase: “Travel to…
