28 people have arrived at Dublin Airport so far this week without a negative Covid test.
That is out of the 4,500 passengers who've passed through between Monday and Wednesday.
There were 11 further breaches at other ports of entry — and those passengers face a fine of up to €2,500 or six months in prison.
New Department of Transport figures also show a third of people arriving at Dublin Airport over the last two days have come back from holidays.
HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid doesn't think too much focus should be on the risk from international travel.
Mr Reid said: “We've seen a lot of public focus shifts at different times and in different waves, to different areas that might be the cause or result of the high transmission levels.”
He added: “On occasions that has been meat plants, sometimes Direct Provision centres, sometimes a perception of schools, or young people, or indeed now travel.”
Holidays
More than half of all passengers who arrived into Ireland on Tuesday were Irish people returning from holidays, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.
The Irish Examiner reports that speaking at a private meeting of his parliamentary party, Mr Martin said that of 800 people who came into the country by air, 542 were Irish and 397 were on holidays.
He said that on foot of RTÉ Primetime’s report on Tuesday which showed planeloads of holidaymakers returning from holiday destinations, a greater Garda presence will be deployed to combat such behaviour.
Mr Martin reportedly told his TDs and Senators that people travelling for holidays will face “tough sanctions”.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Martin said the Government decided to extend level 5 restrictions until March 5th to ensure there is an alignment with Northern Ireland.
