DUBLIN (Reuters) – The head of Ireland’s tourism authority, former Ryanair leading operations officer Michael Cawley, resigned on Saturday after going on holiday to Italy, against the government’s recommendation to avoid non-essential aliens.
Cawley, a Ryanair director who also served as the airline’s leading monetary director and deputy executive director, asked to resign opposition parties after confirming to the Irish Independent newspaper on Saturday that he was on vacation in Italy.
Cawley is the first senior official in Ireland to resign for disobeying coronavirus guidelines. Scotland’s leading medical officer resigned in April after ignoring his own recommendation to remain in the COVID-19 lockdown.
Italy is one of 10 countries on the government’s Green List, meaning that anyone arriving in Ireland can meet a 14-day quarantine requirement that applies to travellers elsewhere.
However, the official travel recommendation since the coronavirus outbreak began in Ireland in February remains that non-essential trips abroad deserve to be avoided and others have been encouraged to spend their holidays at home to help the most affected tourism sector. .
Failte Ireland, the tourism progression authority, has more investments to publicize national tourism.
Cawley said in a statement that he had made the decision to resign because he did not need to let the factor distract attention from Failte Ireland’s paintings in rebuilding Ireland’s tourism industry.
Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said she was disappointed to be informed that Cawley was on vacation in Italy and that his position was unsustainable.
Reporting through Padraic Halpin; Editing through Christina Fincher
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