Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 January 2021
564. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to countries that do not have PCR tests available for passengers to take prior to travelling to ensure they are in line with current guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2587/21]
View answerFrom 16 January 2021, all passengers arriving into Ireland from overseas are required to have a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a pre-departure COVID-19 RT-PCR test that was carried out no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland.
It is the responsibility of travellers entering Ireland from overseas to ensure that they can meet the current testing requirements.
The following categories of travellers are exempt from requiring a pre-departure test result: International Transport Workers (including workers in aviation, maritime and road haulage sectors) travelling in the course of their duties, passengers transiting on to another country without exiting the airport and children aged 6 or younger.
If a citizen has a genuine humanitarian emergency requiring urgent travel, they should contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate immediately for advice and consular assistance before commencing their journey.
