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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020

Tuesday, 15 September 2020

Questions (610)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

610. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice the responsibility of her Department for recording and monitoring passengers entering Ireland; the role her Department plays in the passenger locator form and follow-up calls to passengers; the number and grade of staff allocated for this specific purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23913/20]

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Written answers

The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has responsibility for securing Ireland’s border at Dublin Airport in accordance with the provisions of the Immigration Acts and Orders as they relate to entry and refusal of entry to the State. The BMU had also been collecting and checking Public Health Passenger Locator Forms at Dublin Airport, and undertaking follow-up phone calls on arrivals into Dublin Airport and all other ports of entry nationwide on behalf of the health authorities, since 28 April 2020.

The mandatory regime, as set out in the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form) Regulations 2020, for completion of Public Health Passenger Locator Forms by all arriving passengers into the State (excluding the exempt categories) came into effect on Thursday 28 May 2020. Any passenger refusing to complete the mandatory form at Dublin Airport is referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).  

From 28 April 2020 to 30 June 2020, almost 100% of passenger arrivals into both Dublin Airport and all other ports of entry nationwide who required telephone follow-up were contacted by BMU  staff. However, since 1 July 2020, due to a rise in passenger numbers and the requirement to prioritise core immigration work at Dublin Airport, the BMU was not operationally positioned to continue follow-up calls at the rate conducted previously and made a sample of follow-up calls for all ports of entry nationwide.

On 26 August 2020, an electronic version of the Passenger Locator Form was made available and responsibility for follow-up work thereafter transferred to the Department of Health.

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