Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

At our meeting last week, the day of the Cabinet meeting, the Minister went in and said that we have to look at testing in the airport. It jarred with what we discussed here with the airlines that day, so it is good to see the Minister move this forward in what he said. That is where we want it to go. That is where the aviation industry wants to go. The airlines bemoaned a lack of communication from the Minister and his Department on that. Hopefully, from what the Minister said last week and what he is saying today, the communication with the airlines, the DAA, Shannon Group, Cork Airport and all the other airports can increase and some positive momentum can build. On the public health issue, there will always be a risk that some person with Covid-19 could come into the country by some means, through whatever testing regime or no testing regime and through a port or an airport, and spread the virus. All we can do is reduce the risk. That is what the committee has been saying. We want to support any measures that will reduce the risk to as low as possible. I believe I can speak for other members of the committee in saying that a testing regime is vital for that. I thank the Minister for his work on this.