Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I have had discussions with Mr. Philips. The DAA has done a very good job by being proactive here. On the issue of whether the airport might need planning permission if we were to introduce testing facilities there, to be honest it only came to my desk in the past week. I understand that we have to consider with Fingal County Council whether the council needs to make an adjustment or whether we require an emergency measure in planning regulations. If we do, we will do it. The Government is looking at every option and will assist the DAA in whatever way it needs assistance, but it must be a system that is also approved by the health authorities.

The worst thing that could happen for the aviation sector is if people have a sense that international air travel is not safe or that we are taking risks. Whatever we do should be done in tandem with good health advice and the ECDC system. The reason we are trying to introduce the type of system on red is that it is in line with what the UK, Germany and other large European countries are doing. That mechanism allows us to see what their experience is, to look at what best practice is and what other countries are doing. We will be very supportive of the DAA in implementing similar measures here as soon as it is clear that they are safe and that they are not going to be something that three or four weeks later we will think we have lost some public confidence because of them.