The complete absence of safeguards on international travel is extraordinary given the rising levels of the virus, according to Róisín Shortall TD, co-leader of the Social Democrats.
Raising the issue with the Taoiseach in the Dáil today, Deputy Shortall said:
“On a day when the entire country enters into Level 3 restrictions due to increasing rates of Covid-19, it is truly shocking that there is no system in place at our ports or airports to monitor the movements of people arriving here.
“NPHET raised serious concerns about foreign travel during the summer, but we now know from the Department of Health that the guidelines for restricting movements after entering the country are not being monitored or enforced in any way.
“We need to hunt down this virus, but that can’t happen without a strong overarching strategy to deal with Covid-19, including a functioning system in place at our ports and airports to prevent further imported cases from spreading throughout the community.
“The Taoiseach needs to answer for why the policy on international travel was changed at such a crucial juncture in our fight against Covid-19.”
October 7, 2020