Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
52. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his discussions and deliberations with the NPHET with regard to the development of the green list; the reason for going against this advice; if he requested the expert advice that the NPHET had received from the expert advisory group in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18565/20]
View answerOn 21 July, the Government agreed a list of fifteen locations for which the advice against non-essential travel no longer applies. The travel advice for those locations now is to 'take normal precautions,' which is represented by a green bar under the system of country security ratings used by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The fifteen locations are: Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Monaco, San Marino and Slovakia.
It is important to note that inclusion on the list was based on the current epidemiological situation and related public health information in each location. A core criterion was that the locations in question had, over the previous 14 days, a similar or lower caseload of COVID-19 per 100,000 people than Ireland as reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The list and related travel advice will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis, based on advice from officials including public health experts.
The Government will continue to draw upon the expertise and guidance of the National Public Health Emergency Team and the Expert Advisory Group as we chart our way through the pandemic response. However, it is important to underline that the role of these bodies is to advise, and the role of the Government is to make decisions taking the full view of Ireland’s interests into account. That is what we have done in this instance, and what we will continue to do.
We are in the midst of a global pandemic, with more than 16 million people infected. The situation is developing rapidly and the government's message is clear that the safest option is to stay in Ireland.
