Overseas visitors to Ireland 'must restrict movements for 14 days'

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has insisted that overseas visitors should not come to Ireland if they cannot restrict their movements for 14 days.

Minister Coveney said they must restrict their movements when they arrive on Irish soil.

He said now is not a time for normal holidays involving tourists coming from abroad.

"I don’t think we should prevent flights from landing in Ireland or ban international travel, that is not the approach we have taken," he said.

He explained the government is considering measures it can take to improve communications and to improve protocols at airports.

These include ensuring that the passenger locator form is moved online so a person can stand over the accuracy of the information given.

Minister Coveney said there is a legal requirement on people to fill out the passenger locator form accurately. 

He stated if a follow-up reveals people are not in the place where they said they would be staying, then they would have broken the law and there will be 'severe penalties' for such breaches.