Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the NTA. I have questions that could go on for an hour but I only have five minutes. There may have to be correspondence at a later stage. I pay tribute to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the staff in the Tánaiste's office and the people who helped my staff and myself. These people were on the phone 24-7 following our first call trying to get constituents in Cork South West out of Bolivia, and were engaged in the massive efforts to charter a flight to get more of our constituents from Peru. A massive effort was put into getting people back from Peru in particular. Putting all these pieces together and bring young people back home to very worried parents was a logistical nightmare, especially when Peru was officially closed. The Department provided us with information about available routes and connections for the doctors and nurses stranded in Australia, and made sure our constituents had seats on those flights. Information was provided to us and we were able to update our people in America, New Zealand, Denmark and Spain, and many other places, ensuring that people got home safely. I also thank the Department and the Tánaiste's office for helping us with emergency passports, again ensuring that our people were able to get back to work and get back to where they needed to go. The professionalism and the communication from the Department was very much appreciated by myself, my office and those who so desperately wanted to get home. I pay tribute to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, who had to intervene to ensure the safe homecoming of so many.

Now that circumstances are improving, we need to open our ports and airports. It is time we followed places such as Singapore with same day testing and results for everyone coming into the country, giving them the freedom, once results are received, to travel and enjoy our beautiful country. Do the witnesses see this as being part of the reopening of Ireland? If so, when do they think it can be put in place?

Following the outbreak of Covid-19, Ireland has repatriated 6,000 citizens, with approximately 1,000 still waiting to get home. Why have we had to rely on other countries to get our people home when countries such as Malta has its own military airlift transport?