There have been Covid-19 outbreaks linked to at least three flights into Ireland in the past fortnight, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Health.
The spokesperson said two of these outbreaks involve possible variants of concern and are still being investigated. The department has defended the rules requiring people arriving from designated countries, who are fully vaccinated, to quarantine in a hotel.
A spokesperson said there is some evidence that individuals who have already been vaccinated have subsequently been diagnosed with a variant of concern.
The department also argued that there is no international system that recognises vaccination certificates and no agreed method that could allow people to prove they are