Chairman:

This leads on to the issue of HIQA saying the PCR is the gold standard. It is not ruling out the antigen testing but it is giving it a qualified view, a qualified recognition, while at the same time saying there may be cases where the PCR test may have to run alongside it. As such, the green list coming in tonight has no real impact for practical purposes. Orange and amber is where the action is. Given what HIQA has said about having a strategy in place and the types of tests it has said will work, will the Minister of State explain to the committee how, by 8 November, we will have a system in place in Ireland whereby people coming here from other countries, particularly tourists, can come here if they get pretested in another jurisdiction in a safe way?

If people who are departing get the test done in Ireland, will they be able to go to an amber country without having to be tested again? It would assist in making our aviation and business sectors more viable. Will the Minister of State give us more details?