Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2020
153. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of passengers that entered here by plane from the United States of America since the introduction of passenger locator forms; the number of follow-up calls or visits that were made to enforce the mandatory 14-day quarantine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16342/20]
View answerOn 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) collect these forms at Dublin Airport, which is the principal route through which people enter the State. While the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) manage the compliance for the other entry ports to the State, the passenger locator forms are forwarded to the BMU in Dublin Airport who carry out the follow-up calls for all completed forms.
Under regulations made by the Minister for Health - Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Requirements) (Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form) Regulations 2020, S.I. No. 181/2020 - the completion of a passenger locator form became a mandatory requirement on 28 May 2020.
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has advised of the following daily number of passengers arriving in Dublin Airport from the USA since 24 April 2020. The figures do not include transfer passengers.
|
USA |
Total |
|
Fri 24 Apr 20 |
13 |
|
Sat 25 Apr 20 |
31 |
|
Sun 26 Apr 20 |
23 |
|
Mon 27 Apr 20 |
33 |
|
Tue 28 Apr 20 |
11 |
|
Wed 29 Apr 20 |
25 |
|
Thu 30 Apr 20 |
15 |
|
Fri 01 May 20 |
31 |
|
Sat 02 May 20 |
37 |
|
Sun 03 May 20 |
40 |
|
Mon 04 May 20 |
51 |
|
Tue 05 May 20 |
20 |
|
Wed 06 May 20 |
38 |
|
Thu 07 May 20 |
24 |
|
Fri 08 May 20 |
24 |
|
Sat 09 May 20 |
54 |
|
Sun 10 May 20 |
45 |
|
Mon 11 May 20 |
36 |
|
Tue 12 May 20 |
27 |
|
Wed 13 May 20 |
28 |
|
Thu 14 May 20 |
25 |
|
Fri 15 May 20 |
35 |
|
Sat 16 May 20 |
50 |
|
Sun 17 May 20 |
39 |
|
Mon 18 May 20 |
60 |
|
Tue 19 May 20 |
60 |
|
Wed 20 May 20 |
29 |
|
Thu 21 May 20 |
8 |
|
Fri 22 May 20 |
35 |
|
Sat 23 May 20 |
26 |
|
Sun 24 May 20 |
32 |
|
Mon 25 May 20 |
27 |
|
Tue 26 May 20 |
52 |
|
Wed 27 May 20 |
70 |
|
Thu 28 May 20 |
40 |
|
Fri 29 May 20 |
62 |
|
Sat 30 May 20 |
66 |
|
Sun 31 May 20 |
100 |
|
Mon 01 Jun 20 |
83 |
|
Tue 02 Jun 20 |
91 |
|
Wed 03 Jun 20 |
51 |
|
Thu 04 Jun 20 |
73 |
|
Fri 05 Jun 20 |
31 |
|
Sat 06 Jun 20 |
69 |
|
Sun 07 Jun 20 |
108 |
|
Mon 08 Jun 20 |
101 |
|
Tue 09 Jun 20 |
77 |
|
Wed 10 Jun 20 |
111 |
|
Thu 11 Jun 20 |
41 |
|
Fri 12 Jun 20 |
70 |
|
Sat 13 Jun 20 |
36 |
|
Sun 14 Jun 20 |
55 |
|
Mon 15 Jun 20 |
109 |
|
Tue 16 Jun 20 |
122 |
|
Wed 17 Jun 20 |
106 |
|
Thu 18 Jun 20 |
69 |
|
Fri 19 Jun 20 |
69 |
|
Sat 20 Jun 20 |
92 |
|
Sun 21 Jun 20 |
70 |
|
Mon 22 Jun 20 |
138 |
|
Tue 23 Jun 20 |
122 |
|
Wed 24 Jun 20 |
51 |
|
Thu 25 Jun 20 |
96 |
|
Fri 26 Jun 20 |
78 |
|
Sat 27 Jun 20 |
79 |
|
Sun 28 Jun 20 |
139 |
|
Mon 29 Jun 20 |
152 |
|
Tue 30 Jun 20 |
269 |
|
Wed 01 Jul 20 |
159 |
|
Thu 02 Jul 20 |
97 |
|
Fri 03 Jul 20 |
88 |
|
Sat 04 Jul 20 |
163 |
|
Sun 05 Jul 20 |
146 |
|
Mon 06 Jul 20 |
123 |
|
Tue 07 Jul 20 |
151 |
|
Wed 08 Jul 20 |
179 |
|
Thu 09 Jul 20 |
71 |
|
Fri 10 Jul 20 |
168 |
|
Sat 11 Jul 20 |
149 |
|
Sun 12 Jul 20 |
151 |
|
Mon 13 Jul 20 |
144 |
In terms of the number of follow-up calls, please see tables below which cover the period from 28 April 2020 (when BMU commenced follow-up calls) to 30 June 2020. During this period, almost 100% of passengers who required follow-up calls were contacted. However, from the date that completion of the forms became mandatory, 28 May 2020, the nationality of passengers was no longer included as a question on the form. It is therefore not possible to ascertain the nationality of those to which follow up calls were made and the tables below reflect the overall number of calls rather than those to particular nationals.
|
Dublin Airport |
|
|
Passengers Arrivals |
28.04.20 - 30.06.20 |
|
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% |
|
Passengers Arrivals |
28.04.20 - 19.06.20 |
|
Number of Call 2 Made (12 days after Arrival) |
16,295 |
|
Calls Answered |
8,649 |
|
% Answered |
53% |
Since 1 July 2020, given the increase in passenger numbers, the BMU are required to concentrate on their core immigration duties and therefore, whilst my Department awaits handover of this follow-up process to the Department of Health, the BMU are only in a position to make a sample of follow-up calls.
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. Given that the form is mandatory and that only 3 referrals have been made to An Garda Síochána for refusing to complete the form, the daa arrivals figure is regarded as an accurate indication of the forms received at Dublin Airport.
The figures provided below for the period 1 July 2020 to 13 July 2020 show the sample of calls made whilst awaiting the handover of this follow-up action to the Department of Health.
|
Dublin Airport |
01/07/20 - 13/07/20 |
|
DAA Arrival Figure |
52,753 |
|
Sample Taken |
5,042 |
|
Exempt: This includes passengers: - Transiting to NI - In the State for less than 2 days - Completing forms unnecessarily |
1,510 |
|
Calls Made |
3,532 |
|
Calls Answered |
1,698 |
|
% Answered |
48% |
The BMU continues to carry out the follow up phone calls on behalf of the HSE, but as passenger numbers are expected to increase significantly over the coming days, as previously mentioned, the BMU will need to focus exclusively on their core function of immigrating passengers and the HSE will take responsibility for this function. Discussions are ongoing between both Departments to finalise a date for the handover.
