Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

945. To ask the Minister for Health the number of follow-up calls made to incoming passengers on a weekly basis since 1 February 2021; the number of calls which were successfully answered on a weekly basis in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8863/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

All passengers arriving to the State are required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator form, there are limited exemptions from this requirement for international transport workers, diplomats and children under 16. The form is used to support a system of engagements with arriving passengers including the targeting of public health messaging by SMS and email and may be used for contact tracing.

Passengers who completed a passenger locator form and do not claim an exemption are followed up and contacted by text to confirm their address. Where a person has not responded to the address verification text, they will be called to verify their place of address. If they are not available at the first call, further attempts will be made to contact each passenger who is in scope for follow up calls. Between 1^stand 7^thof February inclusive, 81% of passengers requested to do so confirmed their place of residence.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

946. To ask the Minister for Health the level of compliance in filling out the passenger locator forms on a weekly basis from 1 February 2021; the number of forms which were correctly and incorrectly completed on a weekly basis, respectively; and the number of persons that refused to fill out the form on a weekly basis in tabular form. [8864/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

All passengers arriving to the State are required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator form. There are limited exemptions from this requirement for international transport workers, diplomats and children under 16. The Passenger Locator Form is used to support a system of engagements with arriving passengers including the targeting of public health messaging by SMS and email and may be used for contact tracing. Invalid passenger locator forms may have illegible or invalid information including phone numbers or other essential information that is required. The paper passenger locator form has been updated to an OCR form to improve legibility. Passengers may have completed a passenger locator form and not travelled.

From the 1^stto 7^thof February inclusive a total of 13,541 Passenger Locator Forms were completed of which 93.5% were valid and 6.5% were invalid. There have been no incidences of non-compliance notified to An Garda Síochána during the week from 1^st– 7^thof February inclusive.