Mr. Jim Breslin:

I do not know that we have deviated. I need to be careful, as outlined in the introduction, that as a civil servant I am not commenting on the merits of Government policy one way or another in trying to give the context in which this was done.

The Deputy is correct that the ECDC stated border restrictions are, other than in very extreme situations, seen to be ineffective. The countries in Europe that imposed them were not able to prevent the virus entering the country.