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Ireland's response to COVID-19: Transport measures
From Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
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The transport-related measures currently in place in response to COVID-19 are set out below. Given that this is a rapidly evolving situation this page will be updated as required. Please see the central online government hub to view the latest information on how Ireland is responding to cases of COVID-19.
On the 13 May 2020, the European Commission published a package of guidelines and recommendations for tourism and transport to help Member States gradually lift travel restrictions and allow tourism businesses to reopen, after months of lockdown, while respecting necessary health precautions.
The Package includes:
- an overall strategy towards recovery in 2020 and beyond
- a common approach to restoring free movement and lifting restrictions at EU internal borders in a gradual and coordinated way
- a framework to support the gradual re-establishment of transport whilst ensuring the safety of passengers and personnel
- a recommendation which aims to make travel vouchers an attractive alternative to cash reimbursement for consumers
- Criteria for restoring tourism activities safely and gradually and for developing health protocols for hospitality establishments such as hotels
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the haulage representative organisations has worked with the Department of Health on guidance for supply chain workers.
A Guidance document for supply chain workers in relation to COVID-19 has been prepared. This guidance applies to hauliers, maritime staff, pilots and aircrew, ground staff, port staff, maintenance staff, engineering staff and all others involved in the maintenance and repair of critical infrastructure to allow freight operations in and out of Ireland to continue, and aims to provide these essential workers with information and guidance as regards their continued work.
Importantly, the guidance makes clear that hauliers are not required to self-restrict their movements on returning to Ireland following a road transport operation abroad and can continue their work (unless of course they are ill or displaying symptoms of COVID-19).
This means that hauliers and other key supply chain staff are exempt from the government’s advice against all non-essential travel overseas, which is effective until further notice, and the advice that anyone coming into Ireland, other than from Northern Ireland, will be required to restrict their movements on arrival for 14 days.
Following concerns raised by the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) and the Freight Transport Association of Ireland (FTAI) the department has also liaised with the ferry companies in seeking to ensure that, insofar as is possible, HGV drivers are not at this time required to share cabins with other drivers and that where this is not possible, that HGV drivers are offered reclining seats. For more information please visit this webpage.
This document highlights the importance of protecting the health of supply chain workers in maintaining the flow of essential goods into and out of Ireland. At this time access to facilities to permit frequent hand washing has never been as important. Where possible, all transport workers should continue to be provided access to toilet and hand washing facilities. This simple measure will help maintain the healthy workforce required to keep supply chains moving in Ireland.
COVID-19 can be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces; therefore, maintaining good hygiene and cleaning practices are essential, particularly in common working areas. Regular cleaning will reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people; cleaning common work areas is important to limit the spread. This document contains some useful guidelines for cleaning HGVs.
This document highlights that every element of the supply chain is a vital link in ensuring a continuous flow of essential goods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Where practical, all goods should continue to be distributed to the greatest extent possible. All supply chain workers are considered essential; their important work means people continue to receive necessary food and medical supplies.
A Network of National Contact Points has been established across EU Member States to share any information relevant to the transport sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The document below provides a summary position and will be updated regularly, as information becomes available. Given the rapidly evolving situation, the information in this document may not be exhaustive. Please refer to the website of the relevant national authority for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
In addition, information on measures taken by Member States regarding current travel advice, border controls, suspensions of traffic, quarantine for travellers and restrictions to the freedom of movement is being collected by the European Commission and will be used to update their publicly accessible website.
The document below provides a summary of motorway service area facilities in Ireland in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be updated as information becomes available.
Also please find below a map which outlines the locations of motorway service area facilities in Ireland.
Motorway_Service_Areas_Only_Rev_C
Download
Service Area Facililties Summary 09.04.20
DownloadDue to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the ability of aviation personnel and organisations to maintain licences, ratings, certificates, and attestations due to the national requirement to implement social distancing and the limitation of movement of persons in the European Union, the Irish Aviation Authority pursuant to article 71(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1139, has provided an exemption from compliance, subject to the limits and conditions detailed in Aeronautical Notice No. P.30.
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the ability of aviation personnel and organisations to maintain licences, ratings, certificates and attestations due to the national requirement to implement social distancing and the limitation of movement of persons in the European Union, the Irish Aviation Authority pursuant to article 71(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1139, is providing a general exemption from compliance subject to the requirements set out in Aeronautical Notice No. P.31.
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the ability of aviation personnel to maintain licences due to the national requirement to implement social distancing and the limitation of movement of persons in the European Union, the Irish Aviation Authority pursuant to Article 71(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1139, is providing a general exemption from compliance subject to the requirements set out in Aeronautical Notice No. P.32.
This Guidance is jointly published by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. It relates only to the right to terminate package travel contracts under section 18A(4) of the Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances significantly affecting the performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the package destination.
It does not affect or apply to the separate right of travellers under section 18A(1) of the Act to terminate a package travel contract at any time before the start of the package for which travellers may be required to pay a termination fee to the package organiser in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
More information is available here: Updated guidance on the right of travellers to terminate package travel contracts due to the extraordinary circumstances resulting from Covid-19
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the ability of aviation personnel to travel and the national advice to implement social distancing, the Irish Aviation Authority is providing a general extension of a maximum of four months for recurrent training and/or assessment, due before 31 July 2020, subject to the conditions set out in Aeronautical Notice No.A.114
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the ability of aviation personnel to travel both within the state and externally, combined with the national advice to implement social distancing, the Irish Aviation Authority, may provide exemptions to Aerodrome Operators vis-à-vis management, training and maintenance, subject to the conditions set out in Aeronautical Notice T16.
Due to implementation of national requirements on social distancing and also the limitation of movement of persons on a global basis because of the COVID-19 crisis, the ability of flight crew licence holders to maintain licences and associated ratings and certificates and for licence applicants and trainees to comply with other specified time periods, is impeded. The Irish Aviation Authority is therefore issuing exemptions, subject to the conditions set out in Aeronautical Notice No. P33.
In order to ensure a continuous flow of goods within the EU, drivers with valid Irish Driver CPC cards that are due to expire during the current COVID-19 outbreak will be granted an extension of a maximum of six months up to 26 September 2020. For more information please visit the RSA website.
In view of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and government guidelines all Driver Theory Test Centres will close from 25 March until further notice.
“Emergency Testing Appointments” will be provided for candidates with exceptional circumstances. These exceptional circumstance include: Ambulance Service; Fire Service; Civil Defence; Medical professionals or critical supply chain HGV drivers, who require a Driving Theory Test to provide support to essential services during COVID-19.
For more information please visit the Driver Theory Test website.
The National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) is suspended until further notice. All NDLS centres are currently closed. For more information please visit the NDLS website.
Driving tests have been suspended. Where there are exceptional circumstances eg. Ambulance Service, Fire Service, Civil Defence, medical professionals and critical supply chain HGV drivers, needing a driving test, all reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate these customers. For more information please visit the RSA website
The NCT has been suspended until further notice. For more information please visit the NCT website.
CVRT has been suspended until further notice. For more information please visit the CVRT website.
The Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 requires all persons 70 years of age or more to comply with the requirement to provide a medical report. The New Statutory Instrument (S.I. 86 of 2020) relaxes this requirement for persons 70 years and over who do not have an identified/specified illness until 31 July 2020. This will be kept under review.
For more information please see here, or download a copy of the published Statutory Instrument.
In view of the potential impact of COVID-19 on HGV operations and the importance of the road haulage sector to the national economy and in response to requests from the haulage industry, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport have agreed a further extension of the temporary derogation from certain provisions of the EU driving and resting time rules. This extension includes additional measures, which will apply from 17 April to 31 May 2020. For more information please visit the RSA website.
On Friday 27 March the National Transport Authority announced that operators of most subsidised public transport services are to move to a new schedule of services on a phased basis from Monday 30 March.
Revised timetables for Iarnród Éireann will come into effect on Monday 30 March, while those for Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland and Bus Éireann, will come into effect Wednesday 1 April. Under the revised timetables, services will run at approximately 80% of current levels.
For information on revised Iarnród Éireann timetables please click here.
For information on revised Bus Éireann timetables please click here.
For information on revised Go-Ahead Ireland timetables please click here.
For information on revised Dublin Bus timetables please click here.
The document below provides further information relevant to maritime transport, for those working in the sector and for passengers.
The Irish Government has announced the designation, on a temporary basis only, of five strategic maritime routes into and out of Ireland as Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes during COVID-19 for a period of up to three months. These are Dublin/Cherbourg and Rosslare/Fishguard, Pembroke, Cherbourg and Bilbao, with the emergency provision of a maximum contribution of €15 million towards the costs involved in the continued operation of passenger ferry services on these routes in that period. The operators currently providing these services are Irish Ferries, Stena Line and Brittany Ferries.
For more information please visit this webpage.
All scheduled cruise ship travel has ceased. The National Health and Emergency Planning Team agreed that no cruise ship will be permitted to enter any Irish port or anchor in Irish waters.
This Marine Notice communicates instructions from the Health Service Executive (HSE) on the submission of Maritime Declarations of Health.
This Marine Notice sets out the temporary measures being put in place in relation to the validity of seafarers’ documents impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic: to extend the validity of Irish seafarer certifications (by 6 months) and Irish flagged vessels (by 3 months) which remove administrative issues for those seafarers and vessels requiring renewal over the coming 3 months.
This Marine Notice sets out temporary contingency measures put in place to extend the validity of ship certificates where a survey cannot be carried out in advance of the expiration of the certificate. This includes provision for intermediate surveys and inspections.
This Marine Notice provides an overview of the sets out the measures that have been taken to date to protect the maritime transport supply chain, guidance that has issued to supply chain workers and other COVID-19 related updates in the maritime sector.
For more information on measures being put in place in other EU member states, and a list of all measures in place in Ireland, please visit the European Commission's Hub. This site gives a full list of announced restrictions by country and is updated regularly as information becomes available.
For information on EU cross border delays and timings please visit this webpage.
