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Ireland's response to COVID-19: Transport and travel measures
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Ireland is now in Phase 3 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. This means that from Monday 29 June 2020 you can travel anywhere in Ireland.
On this page you can view the latest information on Ireland’s transport and travel related measures in the context of COVID-19.
Given that this is a rapidly evolving situation this page will be updated as required.
You can also access the central online government hub to view all of the latest information on Ireland’s response to COVID-19.
Social distancing means that overall capacity remains extremely restricted.
Use public transport only for essential journeys.
Wearing a face covering is mandatory.
Avoid peak-time travel.
Walk or cycle if possible.
All non-essential overseas travel to and from Ireland should be avoided.
Passengers will have to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form showing where they will self-isolate.
Passengers arriving from overseas are advised to restrict their movements for 14 days. This includes Irish residents.
Further information on these requirements is available here.
The Department of Transport 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 asked 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 advised 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.
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
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Service Area Facililties Summary 09.04.20
DownloadAll non-essential overseas travel to and from Ireland should be avoided.
Passengers will have to complete the online COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form showing where they will self-isolate.
This form must be completed before you arrive in Ireland.
Exemptions are in place for providers of essential supply chain services such as hauliers, pilots, and maritime staff.
Passengers arriving from overseas are advised to restrict their movements for 14 days. This includes Irish residents.
Further information on these requirements is available here.
This Guidance is jointly published by the Department of Transport 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 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.
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.
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the ability of aviation personnel to travel to aircraft and the national advice to implement social distancing, the Irish Aviation Authority provides an exemption from compliance for aircraft registered on the Irish Civil Register, subject to the conditions set out in Aeronautical Notice No. A.113.
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 the Irish Aviation Authority directs that aircraft operators holding an air operator certificate issued by the Irish Aviation Authority and involved in the commercial air transport of passengers shall be compliant to conditions set out in Aeronautical Notice No. O.84.
Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 the Irish Aviation Authority provides an exemption for a pilot holding an instrument ratings to obtain Performance-Based Navigation privileges by 25 August 2020 set out in Aeronautical Notice NO. P.34.
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 read this notice on Driver CPC during the COVID-19 outbreak on the RSA website.
Following the government announcement triggering Phase 2 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, test centres reopened from Monday 8 June 2020. They are operating at reduced capacity and in line with recommended HSE guidelines.
For more information please visit the Driver Theory Test website.
All Driving licences and Learner Permits expiring from 1 March to 30 June 2020 have been extended by four months.
Following the government announcement triggering Phase 2 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, NDLS centres opened on a phased basis from Monday 8 June 2020.
From Monday 8 June 2020, the following 20 NDLS centres opened:
Carlow, Cavan, Citywest, Clarehall, Cork, Donegal, Drogheda, Ennis, Galway, Kilkenny, Leopardstown, Letterkenny, Limerick, Longford, Mallow, Monaghan, Naas, Portlaoise, Roscommon, Santry, Tralee, Trim, Tullamore, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow.
All other centres reopened from Monday 29 June 2020.
For more information please visit the NDLS website.
The Driver Testing Service resumed services on Monday 29 June 2020. The service is resuming on a gradual basis with bus, truck and motorcycle tests starting on 29 June, driving tests for cars are expected to resume in mid to late July. Initially 14 driving test centres are opening, will all test centres gradually reopening in the coming weeks. You can find further information on the resumption of the driver testing service and COVID-19 measures here.
Because of the suspension of car testing from 28 March 2020, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the NCT for all cars with a due date on or after 28 March 2020 was extended by 4 months, that is a vehicle with a test due date of 2 April will be extended to 2 August.
The NCT has now updated the new test due date for all vehicles that qualified for the 4 month extension.
Please visit the NCT website to check when your vehicle is due its NCT.
Following the government announcement triggering Phase 2 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business a phased reopening of National Car Testing Service centres commenced from Monday 8 June 2020.
The following centres reopened from Monday 8 June 2020:
Cork – Little Island; Cork – Blarney; Northpoint 1 & 2, Dublin; Deansgrange, Dublin; Fonthill, Dublin; Galway; Limerick; Waterford; Letterkenny; Athlone; Ballina; Naas; Drogheda; and Derrybeg.
The following centres reopened from Monday 29 June 2020:
Ennis, Enniscorthy, Killarney and Abbeyfeale.
Customers of those vehicles that had a test due date prior to 28 March 2020 and those that were unable to complete their test due to the defects discovered with vehicle lift equipment earlier in the year are now invited to make a booking for one of centres listed above.
For more information please visit the Frequently Asked Questions on the resumption of NCTS and COVID-19 requirements on the NCTS website.
CVR testing has resumed since 18 May 2020, subject to detailed measures being put in place by each individual CVR test operator.
For more information please read the Frequently Asked Questions on the resumption of CVR testing on the RSA 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.
The temporary derogation from certain rules concerning the driving and resting times for drivers of commercial vehicles expired on 31 May 2020.
From 1 June 2020, operators and drivers must comply with the normal rules applicable to driving and resting times for drivers of commercial vehicles.
For more information please visit the RSA website.
From 29 June 2020, Ireland is in Phase 3 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. Many public transport timetables have returned to normal but social distancing requirements mean that overall passenger capacity remains restricted.
Before making a journey we would like to remind you of the following:
- use public transport only for essential journeys
- a face covering must be worn
- avoid peak-time travel where possible
- walk or cycle if possible
Further information is available on the National Transport Authority website.
Timetable information is available at the following websites:
All non-essential overseas travel to and from Ireland should be avoided.
Passengers will have to complete the online COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form showing where they will self-isolate.
This form must be completed before you arrive in Ireland.
Exemptions are in place for providers of essential supply chain services such as hauliers, pilots, and maritime staff.
Passengers arriving from overseas are advised to restrict their movements for 14 days. This includes Irish residents.
Further information on these requirements is available 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.
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 collected by the European Commission. This is updated regularly, as information becomes available: European Commission's Hub .
For real-time information on timings and delays at EU internal border crossings please visit this webpage.
On 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
