Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
1194. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to reports that fake negative Covid-19 test certificates and documentation are being sold to persons enabling them to avoid travel restrictions; the mechanism in place to ensure that all negative Covid-19 test certificates and documentation produced on arrival at ports and airports in the State are genuine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13997/21]
View answerFrom midnight on 15 January 2021 all passengers arriving into Ireland by air or ferry are required to produce evidence of a negative/not detected RT-PCR covid-19 test, taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival.
Regulations under the Health Act 1947 underpin these requirements. Under these Regulations, passengers are legally required to produce evidence of a negative/not detected result from an RT-PCR covid-19 test when boarding a ferry or aircraft and will be denied boarding by the carrier if they cannot produce such evidence unless they fall into the very limited exemption categories.
Checks of evidence of a negative/not detected RT- PCR covid-19 test on all arriving passengers into the State are carried out by Immigration Officials of the Border Management Unit and An Garda Síochána at ports of entry to the State. All cases where a test result is not available, or where the authenticity of the test result documentation is queried, are referred for further investigation to An Garda Síochána who have a presence at all approved ports of entry to the State.
Passengers who arrive in an Irish port or airport without evidence of a negative/not detected test result or with a confirmed fraudulent test result will commit an offence and may be subject to prosecution, punishable by a fine not exceeding €2,500 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both. In such cases, An Garda Síochána will prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
