Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Justice and Equality, Jim O’ Callaghan has said that it is unacceptable that more than a third of passengers arriving at Dublin Airport and a quarter of those coming into Dublin Port who were asked to self-isolate, did not respond to follow up check calls.
Deputy O’Callaghan has called for more accountability and procedures to be put in place to make sure that people entering the country are taking seriously the COVID-19 pandemic and their responsibilities.
“I was shocked to read reports in the news today that people who were asked to self-isolate cannot be contacted. The medical advice is that anyone arriving into Ireland is to self-isolate for 14 days by staying indoors and avoiding contact with other people. We need to see more accountability in tracing people and ensuring the forms are truthfully completed by them before they leave the airport and ports.
“The Department of Justice confirmed that over 670 passengers who arrived at Dublin Airport over a six-day period did not complete the form at all. This is entirely unacceptable given the huge effort being made by the people of Ireland in complying with the restrictions.
“The Department of Justice needs to ensure that people travelling into the state do not undermine our efforts to reduce the virus. It also needs to put in place a mechanism to secure accountability for those people who have failed to return the forms. In short, we need a system to track visitors that ensures that the spread of the virus is contained,” concluded Deputy O’Callaghan.
