Mr. Jim Breslin:

I thank the committee for the invitation to address the committee again on the issue of travel restrictions.

The World Health Organization offered guidance in a strategy document in April for countries which were considering lifting restrictions detailing the additional measures that would be needed to ensure that the spread of Covid-19 could be contained. Among these, the document recommended that the risk posed by imported cases of the virus should be managed. As the committee will be aware, it was imported cases that led to transmission of the virus in Ireland in the first place. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ECDC, published a paper on considerations for travel-related measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 on 22 May last. That paper notes that while community transmission is high, imported cases are likely to make less of a contribution to the overall spread of the virus and, therefore, restrictions are not needed. However, when community transmission reduces, as is the case in Ireland currently, imported cases could be the cause of a second wave of infection and governments should consider the need for restrictions or other measures accordingly. The Government has already taken several measures to curtail non-essential travel. On 25 March, the Taoiseach announced that no non-essential travel should take place in the State or overseas.

Thankfully, our progress as a country in managing the disease has allowed us to make progress in implementing the Government's roadmap for the reopening of society and business. Phase 1 of the roadmap sees the permitted range of travel raised from 2 km to 5 km and phase 2 will see that raised further. There have been questions about the step nature of these changes but the rationale is to allow public health officials to monitor the spread of the virus when the restrictions are modified.

When the full restrictions were in place, the number of potential contacts of each infected person plummeted as there was less circulation of people. As the restrictions are relaxed, we can expect the number of contacts to increase again but, hopefully, in a way that continues to see the spread of infection controlled. Everyone is anxious to have the benefit of allowing some return to the normal functioning of society, which has its own public health benefits, as long as this is done carefully.

As for travel from overseas, the roadmap sets out a clear expectation that all passengers arriving in the State are expected to self-isolate for 14 days. Following advice from the WHO and the ECDC, the Government introduced a form on 26 April for passengers coming into the State to fill out, which gives information on where they will be staying. A system of follow-up calls was also put in place with calls made at the two-day and 12-day mark. As the committee will be aware, it is believed that Covid-19 has a 14-day incubation period. At first, this form was voluntary. However, as of Thursday last, 28 May, this form has become mandatory and incoming passengers are also required to update the information on the form if it changes and to answer any queries made at their point of entry or as part of follow-on calls. These requirements were introduced to increase compliance in completing the form and to enable contact tracing if any passengers arriving from overseas contract or are suspected to have contracted the virus.

The Covid-19 passenger locator form collects information from arrivals from overseas, including their name, date of birth, and the details of their flight or ferry. Those passengers who are not staying in the State, for example, travelling to Northern Ireland or overseas, do not have to provide the address information. Those passengers remaining in Ireland are required to provide details of an address where they will be staying for the 14 days following their arrival.

The form provides information on why these details are being collected and how it will be processed. The form will be kept for 28 days and then destroyed unless it is needed for enforcement of the regulations. The reason for the 28-day retention period is to enable contract tracing.

The regulations that introduced the form also introduced several offences which are punishable by a fine of €2,500, six months imprisonment or both.

Passenger numbers are at approximately 1% of their usual volumes at present but that may change. Other countries in the EU, many of which had bans on non-essential travel, are reopening and allowing their citizens to travel. Airlines are restoring their flight itineraries and are encouraging people to book trips.

The right time to put special conditions on people who are proposing to travel is now. We need to maintain awareness that the danger has not passed and that people are taking a risk of spreading the virus by engaging in non-essential travel.

The advice of NPHET to the Minister for Health on 3 April was that both the passenger locator form and the self-isolation for 14 days should become mandatory and the Government has asked the Minister for Health to examine the issue of a 14-day self-isolation period for people arriving in the State.

This is being considered by several Departments and will be subject to further consideration. There are complex issues of international and domestic law involved. The EU position and that of other member states is also evolving.

The WHO has said that the most plausible future scenario in the dynamic of Covid-19 may involve recurring epidemic waves interspersed with periods of low-level transmission. That is the context within which travel restrictions apply and continue to be reviewed. It is important that, where travel needs to take place, it does not pose significant risk to the wider public.