Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As a general point, I do not accept that the public health messaging is weak right now. I think people fully understand what is required between now and 18 December. I have seen increased mask wearing on the streets, which indicates that people are taking on board the messaging. After 18 December, people are fully aware of the communications. There will be a very comprehensive two-pronged communications strategy, #savechristmas, but also one that is devised for young people by youth advocacy groups, #antiviral, which will be a very comprehensive one on platforms accessed by young people.

In response to the point the Deputy raised on source tracing, next week on 8 December the HSE will commence a new strand of source investigations. It will go back seven days to get to the location where a spreader event began. That capacity exists and the HSE has been working on this and preparing for it. That will be important as an extra tool that is available to the HSE and the public health teams to identify super-spreader events, or events where the virus spread would have originated.

In respect of international travel, the Tánaiste did reference legal underpinning. The Government is looking at ways for the arrangements that have been made in terms of testing and other measures to be made mandatory, or for the legislation to act as a deterrent to people who might try to avoid having to take a test or adhere to the guidelines. It has been a challenging area, although it must be said repeatedly that travel has reduced dramatically over the year by 96% or 97%. Fewer people are travelling year-on-year. Many Deputies in this House, including from Deputy Shortall's party, have lobbied us on the aviation sector and spoken about how empty the airports are. We have put in a package to try to keep them going and to keep their liquidity intact, because international connectivity is vital to Ireland. The situation is being examined by the Government and legal advice is being taken on what additional measures can be taken to underpin legally the guidelines that we want people to adhere to in terms of testing.

On people coming into Dublin Airport and travelling to the North, we have worked very hard at co-ordination between North and South and with the North-South Ministerial Council. The two CMOs have engaged regularly on a whole range of issues. From a public health perspective, the Border has presented challenges. Of that, there is no doubt. As the Deputy knows, the various levels of restrictions have not been in exact alignment at various periods-----

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