DUBLIN, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The number of people arriving
and leaving Ireland roughly doubled between July and August as
the country relaxed some of Europe's toughest travel
restrictions, but numbers were just one-third of pre-pandemic
levels, data showed on Thursday.
Ireland has been repeatedly criticised by its largest
airlines, Ryanair and Aer Lingus, for
maintaining some of the strictest travel restrictions in the
European Union over the course of the pandemic.
Since late July it has allowed quarantine-free travel from
people from the European Union with COVID-19 vaccine
certificates and is allowing free travel with neighbouring
Britain.
The number of arrivals increased by 116% between July and
August but were 64% lower than in the same month of 2019, data
from the central statistics office showed.
The number of departures increased by 82% between July and
August but were 64% lower than in the same month of 2019
(Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Edmund Blair)