Taoiseach Micheál Martin has dismissed the idea of advising against travel to Northern Ireland when restrictions are eased next week, despite earlier suggestions from the Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar.
Yesterday, it emerged that Mr Varadkar told members of Fine Gael that the advice may be given due to the North's high incidence rate of Covid-19, however a spokesperson for Mr Martin has said no such travel restrictions had been discussed.
Mr Vardakar's comments received mixed reactions, with some public health experts agreeing with the potential measures, although Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly said the Tánaiste's proposal was "out of touch".
The North continues to struggle with a second wave of Covid-19, resuming heightened public health measures from tomorrow after 533 new cases of the virus and seven additional deaths were recorded yesterday.
Mr Daly called Mr Varadkar's suggestion unrealistic, saying: "I think it's kind of out of touch with the reality of life on the Border.
"People go to school or work on one side of the Border and live on the other. The reality is that it is not really going to be possible."
However, the former director-general of the HSE, Tony O'Brien is in support of measures saying travel to the North should be banned.
"Given the overall incidence rate, which has remained very high in Northern Ireland, the chances of picking of Covid-19 in the North are much higher currently than they are in the South.
"Consequently, it's best to avoid [travel] at the present time."
Reopening plan
The cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 will meet this evening to finalise plans to exit Level 5 next week, ahead of an announcement tomorrow.
It is believed shops, gyms and hairdressers will be the first to reopen, with restaurants and hotels expected to follow.
Elaina Fitzgerald-Kane, the president of the Irish Hotels Federation, says it will be 'catastrophic' if hotels are not allowed to fully reopen next week.
"What is critical is that we have a minimum of five weeks of a trading period, so we really feel that we need to open from December 2nd and indoor dining needs to be permitted.
"It's worrying that there is speculation that it may happen later than that, or it may happen in stages because that's just not sustainable from our perspective."
Yesterday, 269 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the Republic, along with six more deaths.
The 14-day incidence rate for the disease has now dropped to 105 per 100,000 people, down from 119 recorded on Wednesday of last week.
