SANTA Claus has been kept busy all night for his round-the-world journey, supposedly delivering presents to all the good little boys and girls.
He's made a list and checked it twice, but will modern travel restrictions keep him grounded?
According to posts on social media, Ireland is one country where Santa will have no issues with his immigration status as Taoiseach (president) Leo Varadkar has given him permission to enter Irish airspace from Dec 24 to 25.
Is it true that Ireland has allowed Santa Claus to enter Irish airspace on the night of Dec 25?
VERDICT:
TRUE
In what has become a Christmas tradition, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dail Eireann (Ireland's Parliament) on Dec 13 that Santa Claus has been given permission to enter Irish airspace over Christmas.
Various European based news outlets including the UK's Sky News and Daily Mail as well as the Independent and Ireland's Irish Mirror reported on the matter recently.
"I would like to confirm that Santa Claus has permission to enter Irish airspace and to cross our borders from Dec 24 to 25.
“I want to thank IAA, the Department of Agriculture and the Revenue Commissioners for allowing the necessary exemptions to occur,” he was reported as telling the Dail by The Independent.
During the Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions and lockdowns, Ireland had classified Santa Claus was an "essential worker" and therefore not constrained by limitations to his movement.
The Irish Times reported that Ireland's Foreign Minister at the time, Simon Coveney, had told the Dail that Santa Claus was exempt from the 14-day self-quarantine requirement in force in December 2020.
However, he had also stressed that, "...children should not stay up at night as he needs to socially distance."
Santa's movements are also tracked across the globe by the North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad), with its Santa tracking simulation goving live at midnight annually on Dec 23, an effort that has been going on since 1955. To access the tracker, visit https://www.noradsanta.org/en/
SOURCES:
1: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/christmas-santa-claus-ireland-parliament-b2464332.html
2: https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/santa-claus-granted-permission-enter-31667001
