Results 7,681-7,700 of 26,021 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Could I ask Mr. O’Connor two questions? How many cases of Omicron have been detected and reported in Ireland to date? It was said initially that the measures introduced would be reviewed after two weeks. Is Mr. O’Connor now telling me that this is no longer the case and that the measures will be in place for a much longer period?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: How many suspected cases of Omicron are there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: For how long will the measures on Covid testing requirements apply? It was initially announced that they would apply for a period of two weeks, subject to review. What is the up-to-date position?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Mr. O'Connor can revert to the committee with clarification on that specific point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We now move to Senator Buttimer, who had to leave the meeting to attend votes in the Seanad.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: If the Senator has to leave now, we can hold over his questioning until later in the meeting. I will move to another member and the Senator can resume his questioning when he returns.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: In answering the question, I ask Mr. Towey to distinguish between people who are vaccinated, those who are unvaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid. Those seem to be the three relevant categories of travellers. Obviously, children under 11 are exempt. I ask Mr. Towey to guide the committee in that regard in order to get clarity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Ms Ní Fhallúin might answer that. She stated that issues had arisen prior to 15 July. There is precedence for Irish people on holidays abroad who unexpectedly come down with Covid. Is there a precedent for what Deputy Carey asked regarding assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will follow up on that point. This is probably for both Mr. Towey and Mr. O'Connor, in addition to Ms Ní Fhallúin. We will have people coming home to Ireland in large numbers in the week before Christmas. The situation will arise where people will have a child that is 14 years old, or one of the parents or whoever, who is detected as positive with Covid. In those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Did 95 people have no tests?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: What countries did they come from? What airlines did they fly with? Is Ms Buckley at liberty to say where they came from?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Three quarters came from Britain. Were the 95 people who were detected on a large or small number of flights? Was it a large number on one flight or small numbers on various flights?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Were they on Irish or British airlines?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is Ms Buckley surprised that they got through? How did they get through? Is it because they were not checked by the airline when they were boarding?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am surprised it is the UK because there are regular flights over and back. I ask Mr. Towey to engage with the airlines that fly those routes to try to reinforce the need for proper checking of Covid tests prior to boarding. The fact that it is the UK, our nearest neighbour, means that these are regular flights. The airlines are not ad hocbut are well-known ones that do regular flights....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are now placing a significant burden on people returning to Ireland when it comes to testing. If the burden of getting pre-departure PCR and antigen tests is placed on them, it is only fair that the system works. There cannot be a scenario where someone with the Omicron variant slips through undetected, while such a burden is placed on the rest of the population. I ask that the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will make one final point. Is any latitude shown in cases where one member of a family flying home tests positive when that person was not aware he or she was positive? If that person was not detected, he or she would get into Ireland and would have to quarantine and get a PCR test within 36 hours of coming home. Is there any latitude shown for families in such circumstances, especially...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I ask Mr. Towey to respond first, after which Ms Buckley may respond on border management and control.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is a negative antigen or PCR test result.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Is it a long email?