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Extra €13m for Outdoor Dining

An extra €13m is being spread among local authorities in a bid to encourage outdoor dining and social activities this summer, with funding for measures such as kerb widening, outdoordining

street furniture, and pedestrian safety measures.

Transport minister Eamon Ryan said 234 projects across 30 local authorities would receive an injection of cash.

The funds are being administered by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of its overall national funding programme, the Department of Transport said.

"We want to ensure that local authorities have the resources they need to help communities enjoy a safe outdoor summer. The additional outdoor infrastructure fund enables measures such as cycling and walking infrastructure, the reallocation of road and street space, and traffic management arrangements," Mr Ryan said.

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said it is important to enjoy the summer months in a safe manner, and that the projects "will play an essential role in making that happen".

Delta won't delay Summer opening

Plans for a wider reopening of society on July 5th will not be affected by the possibility the highly transmissible Delta variant will spread in Ireland, senior Cabinet figures have delta confirmed.

The new variant, first identified in India, is a cause of increasing concern within the Government as it tackles the Covid-19 pandemic. It is at least 60 per cent more transmissible than the original Alpha variant.

The interim director of the North’s Public Health Agency, Dr Stephen Bergin, said that while the overall numbers were low, about a quarter of all the new cases seen in Northern Ireland were of the Delta variant.

The incidence level of the variant is much lower in the Republic, although it is expected to rise during the summer.

Outdoor Dining in Sandymount

One side of Dublin's Sandymount Green is to be pedestrianised for two months to facilitate outdoor dining. sandymount0621

The road on the eastern side will be closed to cars during July and August following public consultation which showed a majority of residents and businesses in favour.

A report to local councillors stated that the move was supported by 94% of respondents.

Support from the local business community was lower with 71% of their 21 online submissions in favour.

A report in the public consultation stated that there were concerns expressed about availability of parking, litter and anti-social behaviour.

Longer Quarantine for UK arrivals

Unvaccinated passengers arriving in Ireland from Britain by air or sea will have to isolate at home for at least 10 days, under new tighter restrictions to be approved by Cabinet tod london0621

ay.

Approval for the plan was given at a meeting of the three Government party leaders — Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, and Eamon Ryan — last night in response to concern as to the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19.

The Irish Examiner reports that under the plans, unvaccinated people will be subject to an isolation period of 14 days at home, but which can be set aside following a negative test after 10 days.

The plan also states that vaccinated people will be able to set aside the 14-day home quarantine requirement after five days should they receive a negative test.

Aer Lingus to fly Stobart routes

Aer Lingus will fly five routes from Dublin and Belfast to Britain until “at least” mid-July following the failure of its regional carrier, Stobart Air. aerlingus

The airline confirmed the move on Monday as the High Court appointed Deloitte Ireland partners, Ken Fennell and Mark Degnan, as provisional liquidators to Stobart Air, which ceased trading at the weekend.

Aer Lingus said it would fly five routes, Dublin to Edinburgh and Manchester, and Belfast City Airport to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester, until at least July 19th.

BA City Flyer has already said it would operate Belfast City to Exeter and Leeds Bradford. Both Aer Lingus and BA are part of International Airlines Group.

Meanwhile, the Government is hopeful of re-establishing publicly-subsidized air routes between Dublin and regional airports in Donegal and Kerry before the wider reopening of international travel on July 19th.