Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not have much to add and nor to I have questions beyond those that have been asked already. What Professor Ferguson has delivered in terms of his 50-plus page report is something this country had needed for a number of months. It is a rigorous and strong academic paper on the advantages of rapid mass antigen testing. Professor Ferguson is chief scientific adviser to the Government of Ireland and the Government needs to take this on board. Our aviation industry needs a pathway out of where it is at the moment. It needed action months ago. The initial report on aviation recovery was published last summer. We have always been behind the eight ball on this. We were told that antigen testing was not the gold standard. Unfortunately, PCR testing was the enemy of the good for so long in terms of Government policy but Professor Ferguson has set out in detail how this can be ameliorated and managed and why there are such advantages to antigen testing.

I thank Professor Ferguson for his report, which needs to be taken on board. I commend the Chairman on the urgency with which he has set out how the committee will deal with this matter. Deputy Cathal Crowe's suggestion is very good. I support it and am glad it will be included.

A few airports, such as those in Rome and Istanbul, have used antigen testing. Representatives from Rome Airport appeared before the committee a number of months ago. Did Professor Ferguson look at any further evidence of how their testing has continued over the past number of months, particularly through the winter wave, or did that fall outside the scope of his report? I again thank him. I cannot emphasise how important this is for our aviation industry.