Are we there yet? Your second Travel Megathread (threadbans in OP}

Any word from the airport this morning? Guards gone? Still there?

€2,000 fine should be gone right?

TomSweeney wrote: »

So my wife is fully vaccinated and I am in theory due mine in June (2nd dose July) so was looking to come back to Ireland around august september, I checked the utter joke of MHQ and even vaccinated people are expected to take a rip off PCR test - and to self quarantine for 5 days.

So I won't be able to go to Ireland in 2021 it seems (I could but I'm not going through all that nonsense)
They really never want this to end do they ?

When this testing/quarantine sh*ite started (about 6 months too late after the horse had bolted, came back and bolted again....) my main worry was that it would be STILL in operation even when we were all vaccinated.

Well, that's the road we are still firmly on, and the worst thing is it seems to have most of the public's support.


Staggering.

You haven't said where you're coming from, but you'll be fully vaccinated in late July and will be able to travel once vaccinated without quarantine or PCR from at the latest around 2 August. So this epic strop is due to waiting at most a few days around the end of July?

Reading up on the possibility of going away in August. Fingers crossed myself and my husband will have had the vaccine, kids 12 & 6 not. Long post but hopefully covers a lot of info for everyone.

According to the europarl.europa.eu website, where they were showing the amendments suggested to the Digital Green, it will now been known as the EU Covid-19 Certificate. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0145_EN.html

EU Covid-19 Certificate and Travel restrictions
member States shall not introduce and implement additional travel restrictions such as quarantine, self-isolation or a test for SARS-CoV-2 infection, or any discriminatory measures for holders of certificates referred to in Article 3, upon the introduction of the EU Covid -19 Certificate.

Article 3

EU COVID-19 Certificate

1. Without prejudice to Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 the interoperable EU COVID-19 Certificate shall allow for the issuance and cross-border verification and acceptance of any of the following certificates:

(a) a certificate confirming that the holder has received a COVID-19 vaccine in the Member State issuing the certificate (‘vaccination certificate’);

(b) a certificate indicating the holder’s result, type and date of a NAAT test or a rapid antigen test listed in the common and updated list of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests established on the basis of Council Recommendation 2021/C 24/01(23) (‘test certificate’);

(c) a certificate confirming that the holder has recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection following a positive NAAT test or having confirmation of an immune response against SARS-CoV-2 by means of a serology or antibody test, including the date of the first positive NAAT test or the date of serological testing for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (‘certificate of recovery’).

The Commission shall publish the list of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests established on the basis of Council Recommendation 2021/C 24/01, including any updates.

(14) To ensure interoperability and equal access, including for vulnerable persons such as persons with disabilities and for persons with limited access to digital technologies, Member States should issue the certificates making up the EU COVID-19 Certificate in a digital or paper-based format, as chosen by the holder. This should allow the prospective holder to request and receive a paper copy of the certificate and/or to store and display the certificate on a mobile device. The certificates should contain an interoperable, digitally readable barcode containing only the relevant data relating to the certificates. Member States should guarantee the authenticity, validity and integrity of the certificates by electronic seals. The information on the certificate should also be included in human-readable format, either printed or displayed as plain text.

To avoid obstacles to free movement, the certificates should be issued free of charge, and persons should have a right to have them issued. Member States should automatically issue the certificates making up the EU COVID-19 Certificate, or in the case of the certificate of recovery only upon request, ensuring that they can be obtained easily and swiftly and providing, where needed, the necessary support to ensure for equal access by all persons. Any additional technical, digital and transport infrastructure expenses needed to put in place the vaccination certificates should be eligible under Union funds and programmes. [Am. 17]

A separate independent certificate should be issued for each vaccination, test or recovery, and no history of the previous certificates of the holder should be stored on the certificate.

Persons who have been vaccinated before the date of application of this Regulation, including as part of a clinical trial, should also be entitled to obtain a certificate on COVID-19 vaccination that complies with this Regulation. At the same time, Member States should remain free to issue proofs of vaccination in other formats for other purposes, in particular for medical purposes.

It is necessary to prevent any kind of discrimination (direct or indirect) against persons who are not vaccinated, for example because of medical reasons, because they are not part of the target group for which the vaccine is currently administered, or because they have not yet had the opportunity or chose not to be vaccinated, or where there is no vaccine available yet for certain age categories, like children. Therefore, possession of a vaccination certificate, or the possession of a vaccination certificate indicating a specific vaccine medicinal product, should not be a pre-condition to exercise free movement rights ▌ and cannot be a pre-condition to free movement within the Union and to use cross-border passenger transport services such as airlines, trains, coaches, ferries or any other means of transport.

People who are vaccinated, have a negative NAAT test that is less than [72 hours] old or have a negative rapid antigen test that is less than [24 hours] old, and people who have tested positive for specific antibodies to the spike protein within the last [6 months], have a significant reduced risk of infecting people with SARS-CoV-2, according to current medical knowledge


So I think it looks like, once the EU Covid 19 certificate is in place, if you are vaccinated you will no longer have to show proof of a negative test. They mention kids, so I'm thinking that my kids will need an Antigen test, by a medical professional (who'll probably be using the ones form Lidl!((they are on the recommended list AFAIK)) in order to obtain a paper based certificate with 24 hours. Thought I read something about the tests being free, but can't seem to find it this morning, possibly confusing myself with the fact that the cert will be free.

When/If I go away, I will also need to organise an Antigen tests for the kids before returning. AFAIK, they don't go as far up the nose as the PCR, so hopefully more comfortable for the kids. I cannot find any definition for kids, as in is a 6mth old and a 12 year old going to be treated the same??

Fingers crossed, things are starting to look a bit brighter! Definitely need a holiday to look forward to!!

TomSweeney wrote: »

From https://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...uarantine.html




no mention of this planned to be stopped.

It stops when the EU system comes into play, only takes a little bit of common sense to see that from the kite flying already going on.

You'll be able to travel here late July / August.

Wouldn't be getting yourself worked up over what's in place now instead of whats to come.

As for suggesting it'll be summer 2022 before there's travel, thats just being dramatic

naughtysmurf wrote: »

If the 2k fine is now actually gone are any news outlets actually reporting it as gone & if not why not?

On the day that’s in it with other restrictions being relaxed or lifted I’m surprised that it doesn’t get a mention somewhere with a free press

They only report bad news. I think they'll try and keep it's demise very quiet. Nothing to suggest yet that it has been extended.

Chuck Norris 2021 wrote: »

They only report bad news. I think they'll try and keep it's demise very quiet. Nothing to suggest yet that it has been extended.

Surely a half decent travel journalist would ask the relevant government department the question & report the answer, I understand why the government & nepht may not want it publicised but so what, it’s pretty significant information surely the government aren’t controlling the press

https://www.newstalk.com/news/varadkar-likely-late-summer-or-early-autumn-before-people-are-able-to-fly-abroad-1192094?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1620632729

Varadkar talking here about late Summer / early Autumn to go further than CTA which he is saying should be opened up first.

naughtysmurf wrote: »

If the 2k fine is now actually gone are any news outlets actually reporting it as gone & if not why not?

On the day that’s in it with other restrictions being relaxed or lifted I’m surprised that it doesn’t get a mention somewhere with a free press

Journalism as we knew it has more or less ceased to exist, it's mainly recycling press releases and Govt. leaks and chasing Twitter, very little questioning and investigating and nobody reads legislation and long reports any more

I'll copied this from an earlier poster:

https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/1f1...d-19-pandemic/

SI 212 is the latest with the 10 May date in it, to be read in conjunction with SI 168.

Site is down. Mmmm wonder why?

SI were signed yesterday to come into effect from today

https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/1f150-view-statutory-instruments-related-to-the-covid-19-pandemic/

For those who'd been looking at the travel one, SI 217 in place until 2nd June. Part 2 section 4 is where you'll want to look for the travel section

https://assets.gov.ie/134499/bb2a7e1a-4170-446d-b09d-9c024dff8d0c.pdf

Ray Donovan wrote: »

Any word from the airport this morning? Guards gone? Still there?

€2,000 fine should be gone right?

Extended to the 2nd of June.

€2,000 Extended to June 2nd. Scumbags.

Anyone got a link to that eu complaints thing?

Ray Donovan wrote: »

€2,000 Extended to June 2nd. Scumbags.

Anyone got a link to that eu complaints thing?

Here's a relevant post

https://www.boards.ie/mobile/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=117010045&postcount=5802

Dunno if Tazz T is still around to share how they made the complaint.

My emphasis in below quote.

Tazz T wrote: »

I got an interesting reply from the EU when complaining about Ireland's MHQ system and 2k fine for leaving the country for non-essential travel. Basically, they appear to be saying that if the Covid situation here is so terrible that we there is the need to have a 20k limit in place, then it's not disproportionate to restrict travel out of the country for non-essential purposes.

'We understand that currently, within Ireland, people cannot, without reasonable excuse travel outside their own county or within 20km of their home if crossing county boundaries. These provisions are complemented by a prohibition on non-essential travel abroad. If the severity of the situation does require such drastic restrictions to domestic movement, it does not seem to be disproportionate to restrict travel to other Member States for non-essential purposes. In such a case, it seems difficult to argue that a Member State would not be allowed to ensure the respect of legal obligations and prohibitions. However, any fees should remain proportionate to the alleged offence and be adapted to the national framework for such related offences.

I wish to assure you that the Commission will continue to closely monitor developments in all EU Member States, including Ireland, with regard to the emergency measures put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.'

This leaves me scratch my head as to when the severity of our pandemic becomes 'not so severe'?

Based on the response I got from the EU, since the 20k limit is no longer there, the fine for attempting to leave the state for non-essential travel should now be deemed a 'disproportionate' measure.


'ah just saw someone already brought it up'

namloc1980 wrote: »

Extended to the 2nd of June.

I was asked at the weekend, what do ya think are the chances of getting away to Spain in June? I honestly thought the fine was in place until then, I didn't realise it was due to expire before then and mentioned the fine to her.

She told me, a load of college friends are already going away. When I asked how they faired out with meeting/questions from Gardai/Guard/Police, she said, sure they are just going online and printing off funeral notices for the area they are going to!!

Well, I thought people were cute (and I don't mean cuddly) for dentist/doctor appointments but this is another level! lol