Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 378: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the provision that has been made in the event of an avian related human flu pandemic to control exit and ingress from Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3744/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Pandemic Influenza Preparedness for Ireland — Advice of the Pandemic Influenza Expert Group was published as a consultative document on 15th January 2007. Following a three month consultation period, which will end on 30th April 2007, a final version will be published.

The Expert Group reviewed the non-pharmaceutical public health interventions recommended by the World Health Organisation and recommendations are made on the interventions that would be appropriate to implement in Ireland, by pandemic phase.

The World Health Organisation does not recommend the closing of international borders at any pandemic phase. This is supported by modelling work by Ferguson et al published in Nature magazine in 2006 which showed that border restrictions and/or internal travel restrictions are unlikely to delay spread by more than 2-3 weeks unless more than 99% effective.

The Expert Group advises the following measures from the World Health Organisation Pandemic Phase 4 onwards at borders for international travellers coming from or going to affected areas:

1. Health Alert notices should be provided to all travellers

2. Travellers to and from affected areas should be advised to self-report if they have illness.

3. Exit screening for at-risk travellers — identified via health questionnaires or declaration notices — should be implemented.

4. All intending passengers who are ill should be recommended to postpone travel.

The Expert Group advice has been brought to the attention of relevant Government Departments through the Inter-Departmental Committee on Public Health Emergency Planning.

The Expert Group considers that entry screening such as screening for symptoms (visual detection of systems), health screening questionnaires, thermal screening, and medical examination should not be necessary. However, if there is evidence that exit screening at the point of embarkation does not meet the standards expected, it may be considered following consultation with WHO and EU colleagues. Discussions are ongoing at European level on potential public health interventions to limit the spread of an influenza pandemic.