Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I gave the Minister notice of two issues in the House yesterday. The first relates to international travel. Earlier today the Minister said that every protection is in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. A response to a recent parliamentary question said that almost 62,000 passengers arrived through Dublin airport in the first two weeks of July. Currently, the Department of Justice and Equality is responsible for the follow up with those passengers. I was curious to know the level of follow up. The Minister and the Department of Justice and Equality have made it very clear that in recent weeks, with an increase in the numbers of people travelling, their resources are being diverted into immigration services. When I drew them out on the actual figures, they disclosed that of the 62,000 passengers who have come into the country in the first two weeks in July, the Department conducted follow up phone calls to only 7% of those travellers.

Of that 7%, only half of them actually answered the calls. In the reply the Minister for Justice and Equality stated her Department awaits hand-over of this follow-up process to the Department of Health. Is there a turf war on here? Why is it that the Department of Health has not taken on that responsibility? The low levels of incoming passengers getting follow-up calls is absolutely indefensible. Only 3.5% of international travellers coming through Dublin Airport are answering phone calls. We cannot allow the country to be exposed to that level of risk. When will the Department of Health take responsibility for ensuring adequate follow-up in these cases?

My second question, about which I gave notice to the Minister yesterday, concerns disability services. Earlier in the year, there was an announcement that there was going to be a cut of €20 million from disability organisations. That was pre-Covid. In the light of Covid, we know the fundraising capacity of disability organisations has been devastated. Due to this, there have been major cutbacks in the services provided to the most vulnerable citizens. The Minister's predecessor indicated clearly and gave an assurance that he would reverse that cut. As the main Opposition spokesperson at the time, the Minister gave a similar undertaking that he would reverse the cut.

I am concerned, however, that one disability organisation was informed just this week by its CHO that the €20 million cut is going ahead. Will the Minister clarify absolutely here today whether that €20 million cut is going to be reinstated?

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