Evening top 5: O'Leary slams quarantine plan; ICTU outlines 'No Going Back' plan; SpaceX launch scrubbed
by NewstalkO’Leary hits out at COVID-19 quarantine plans
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has hit out at Government plans to quarantine travellers coming into Ireland for 14 days.
He told Newstalk Breakfast: "Ireland is introducing far more restrictive travel restrictions at a time when the rest of Europe is opening up."
He said this is "despite the fact that Ireland has performed better than most of the rest of Europe in tacking and reversing the impact of COVID-19.
"We now have an ineffective quarantine regime where people coming into this country don't quarantine - in actual fact, all we do is we take their names and addresses at the airport, we then let them lose into the buses and the taxis and into the community before they arrive at their quarantine address.”
ICTU warns against ‘cliff-edge’ payment halt
The head of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) says income supports, such as COVID-19 payments, should continue until people who are laid off can come back to work.
The union has warned against a 'cliff edge' removal of the pandemic payments.
General-Secretary Patricia King outlined a new 'No Going Back' plan to stimulate the economy to Newstalk Breakfast.
"The incoming administration in our judgement must avoid poor political choices.
17 further coronavirus-related deaths
Health officials have announced 17 further coronavirus-related deaths and 73 new confirmed cases.
It takes the death toll in the Republic to 1,631 and the total number of confirmed cases to 24,803.
One previously announced death was denotified after officials determined it was not coronavirus-related.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said 90% of people who have been diagnosed in Ireland have now recovered.
Roadmap for reopening could be accelerated
The Taoiseach has said some sections of the roadmap for reopening could be brought forward if the medical evidence remains strong.
However, Leo Varadkar told the Dáil that people need to wait and see how the numbers are responding.
“I really would ask the public and ask the House to hold firm for now,” he said.
A decision on the next phase of reopening is expected on June 5th.
SpaceX launch scrubbed due to bad weather
The landmark SpaceX crewed launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida has been 'scrubbed' due to poor weather conditions.
The next attempt will come at 20:32 Irish time on Saturday 30th May.
The company is preparing to become the first commercial company to launch astronauts to the international Space Station.
When it is rescheduled, the mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral in Florida will mark the first crewed launch from US soil in nine years.