Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 12 May 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Digital Green Certificate and Rapid Antigen Testing: Discussion

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair. I will move quickly to questions.

I thank Mr. Bassato for his presentation. In Ireland, we have a protocol that is a pre-departure PCR test within 72 hours of departure, mandatory hotel quarantine, which follows a strict regime for countries with variants of concern, and for everybody else - the majority of travellers - a trust-based quarantine system, as he mentioned. Italy's protocol nvolves a pre-departure PCR or antigen test and then a post-arrival antigen test. Is the post-arrival antigen test done in the airport as the passenger waits, is it a single post-arrival test or is it serial testing? Is there an obligation to quarantine at home or anywhere else or does the testing regime address that? Finally, have Italy's public health officials approved the system? Have they confidence in it? Does Mr Bassato believe that the system has the confidence of the travelling public and the public at large?

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