Written answers
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Department of Justice and Equality
Covid-19 Pandemic
Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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572. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of overseas passengers arriving here; the level of compliance in filling out the passenger locator form; the number of forms that were correctly completed; the number of follow-up calls made to passengers; the number of successful follow-up calls completed in each of the past eight weeks in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16541/20]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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On the 28 April 2020, my Department agreed to undertake, on behalf of the health authorities, the collection of public health passenger locator forms on a temporary administrative basis. The Border Management Unit (BMU) operate the scheme at Dublin Airport, which is the principal route through which people enter the State by air. While the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) manage the compliance for the other ports, the passenger locator forms are forwarded to the BMU in Dublin Airport, who also carry out the follow-up calls for those ports.
The following tables detail the compliance rate for the period 28 April – 30 June 2020.
| Dublin Airport | |
|---|---|
| Passenger Arrivals | 28.4.20 - 30.6.20 |
| Forms Received | 41,949 |
| Exempt from Follow-Up This includes passengers -Transiting to NI - In the State for less than 2 days - Completing forms unnecessarily | 11,695 |
| Number of Call 1 Made (2 days after Arrival) | 28,544 |
| Calls Answered | 18,246 |
| % Answered | 64% |
| Passenger Arrivals | 28.04.20 - 19.06.20 |
| Number of Call 2 Made (12 days after Arrival) | 16,295 |
| Calls Answered | 8,649 |
| % Answered | 53% |
| Dublin Port | |
|---|---|
| Passenger Arrivals | 28.4.20 - 30.6.20 |
| Forms Received | 19,338 |
| Exempt from Follow-Up This includes passengers - Transiting to NI - In the State for less than 2 days - Completing forms unnecessarily | 12,082 |
| Number of Calls Made | 6,645 |
| Calls Answered | 3,283 |
| % Answered | 49% |
| Rosslare Port | |
|---|---|
| Passenger Arrivals | 28.4.20 - 23.6.20 |
| Forms Received | 4,584 |
| Exempt from Follow-Up This includes passengers - Transiting to NI - In the State for less than 2 days - Completing forms unnecessarily | 2,637 |
| Number of Calls Made | 1,889 |
| Calls Answered | 999 |
| % Answered | 53% |
| Cork Airport | |
|---|---|
| Passenger Arrivals | 28.4.20 - 25.6.20 |
| Forms Received | 1,676 |
| Exempt from Follow-Up This includes passengers - Transiting to NI - In the State for less than 2 days - Completing forms unnecessarily | 315 |
| Number of Calls Made | 1,359 |
| Calls Answered | 720 |
| % Answered | 53% |
Since 1 July 2020, given the increase in passenger numbers, the BMU is required to concentrate on their core immigration duties and my Department awaits handover of this follow-up process to the Department of Health.
The BMU now rely on the Dublin Airport Authority (daa) arrivals figures as an indication of the number of passenger locator forms collected by the BMU officers less the exempt categories. Therefore, the statistics below for the period 01 July 2020 – 15 July 2020 show the sample of calls made whilst transfer of the follow-up action to the Department of Health is outstanding. It should be noted that the statistics below are for Dublin Airport only. However, follow-up calls are also being progressed for the other ports of entry.
| Dublin Airport | 01.07.20 - 15.07.20 |
|---|---|
| DAA Arrival Figure | 61,844 |
| Sample Taken | 6,195 |
| Exempt from Follow-up This includes passengers - Transiting to NI - In the State for less than 2 days - Completing forms unnecessarily | 1,974 |
| Calls Made | 4,121 |
| Calls Answered | 2,129 |
| % Answered | 52% |
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