Mr. Chris O'Grady:

I agree 100% with the Deputy. I will talk him through how it would work. If people were to engage with this version of a solution that I will outline, I do not see any reason we could not approach upcoming events like all-Ireland hurling and football finals in August with the expectation of having full stadia. I will give a brief outline of what I am proposing and how it will cater for different organisations, which will have different preferences on the exact details. I will just give a flavour of how it would work.

Individuals would buy a ticket online. They would be instructed to download the relevant app in order to retrieve their purchase ticket. As part of the app download, they would be required to populate in their details. The individual would then be furnished with a self-test pack containing three packs. The app would display a demonstration video which would illustrate technique. The app would also instruct on how to interpret the results and how to upload a verification photo of the result window. As the application is web-based, whatever event co-ordinator is controlling it, be it the GAA, IRFU, FAI or otherwise, would have immediate access to the results and the verification photos in real time. The app would notify or remind the individual three days before the event to perform the first test of the three-pack, to interpret and declare the result in the app and to upload the verification photo. Then, assuming that first test was negative, on the day of the event, the app would notify and remind that individual to perform the second test of the triple-pack, to interpret and declare the result and to upload the verification photo. Assuming that second test is negative, the app would assign a green tick health status. The green tick health status in the app would grant the individual access to the event. The app would then notify or remind the individual five days after the event to perform the third and final test, interpret and declare the result and upload the verification folder.

Obviously, if there is a positive result at any of these stages, that has to be dealt with. For example, if there was a positive result at the first test, which is three days beforehand, this would allow the individual sufficient time to go and get a PCR test, which could confirm or overturn that positive antigen result. If the positive result is confirmed, the individual would be refunded the cost of the ticket in the same way it was purchased. If the positive result is overturned by the PCR test, the results can be uploaded into the app to supersede the antigen test result and grant access to the event. The positive result for the second test, which is on the day of the event, would mean an automatic refund for the individual because there would not be time to go and get a confirmatory test. This is the benefit of having it in triplicate.

If this, or a form of it, was embraced, the number of people in the stadium is irrelevant. If the system is implemented, it works for 500, 5,000 or 100,000. It is the same process. It is just about filtering out contagious people at earlier stages in order to not bring them into the main group.