Mr. Paul Hackett:

The airports are the driver for testing. We are incredibly supportive of the initiative announced by the DAA last week as to what it can do. I am aware that the proposal was put to the Department but it does not seem to have gone anywhere since. We have had very good engagement with the Department of Transport on the matters that are relevant to us. It is our line Department and it has been very helpful in guiding and directing us.

Testing is a moot point for us because we are the travel agents. We cannot initiate it. The airports have to do so. It is key for the airports and the airlines and we will do whatever we can to support that. We will also call out the weaknesses in the current traffic light system or in the previous shades of green system we had for travel. We have to get back to travelling and having a safe environment for consumers. We have to look at best-in-class cases in Europe. Düsseldorf and Frankfurt airports have airport testing. Rome airport has been awarded a five-star Skytrax award. It has 40 biohazard staff in the airport working with passengers on a daily basis. Why are we not looking at those examples? How can we assist the DAA to get its testing protocol through? If the DAA has told the committee it can test 15,000 people a day, why are we not doing that? That would provide certainty, one hopes, for the medics who have genuine concerns in this area.