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Joint Committee on Transport and Communications requests that aviation sector must be included in Terms of Reference for Rapid Antigen Testing Working Group announced today

1 Jul 2021, 17:55

The Joint Committee on Transport and Communication very much welcomed today’s announcement by the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, that he has asked Professor Mary Horgan to head-up a working group to progress the use of rapid antigen testing in sectors here. In this context, the Committee has written to Minister Donnelly requesting that the terms of reference for this group must include rapid antigen testing for the aviation sector.

The Committee has also communicated this request for rapid antigen testing in the aviation sector to form part of the terms of reference of this working group to: Professor Mary Horgan, Head of Rapid Antigen Testing Working Group & President of Royal College of Physicians in Ireland; Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD; An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD; An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar TD; Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD; Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Health; and Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE.

This follows extensive public hearings held by the Committee over the past two months with expert witnesses, including Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Mark Ferguson, the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and Professor Michael Mina of Harvard University, after which the Committee strongly recommended in writing to the Minister for Transport and the Government that a pilot rapid antigen testing programme for aviation be established immediately.

Speaking following today’s announcement, Committee Cathaoirleach Kieran O’Donnell TD said: “Our Committee very much welcomes this positive development with the announcement today by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly that he has asked Professor Mary Horgan to head up a group to progress the use of rapid antigen testing in various sectors here, as recommended in the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Expert Group Report – more commonly known as the Ferguson Group Report. In this context, our Committee is requesting that the terms of reference for this group must include rapid antigen testing for the aviation sector. Furthermore, this should include the immediate rolling-out of a pilot test for aviation route or routes which Aer Lingus have indicated to the Committee that they are willing to participate in. 

“We as a Committee have long held the view that all available COVID-19 testing options must be fully explored as part of the COVID-19 public health toolkit, including rapid antigen testing. Today’s announcement by Government on the setting up of this active working group to progress the roll-out of rapid antigen testing is a major step forward here and is something we have been seeking for over a considerable time.

“The Ferguson Group Report, published over three months ago, recommended that pilot programmes of serial rapid antigen testing commence at scale and at pace across various sectors, including the aviation sector (on page 47) of their report. As a Committee, we have sought in a constructive way to progress the discussion around rapid antigen testing, more particularly in the aviation sector which has suffered so seriously under COVID-19.

“Following extensive public hearings over the past two months with expert witnesses, including Professor Ferguson, Dr Holohan and Professor Mina, our Committee strongly recommended in writing to Minister Eamon Ryan and the Government that a pilot rapid antigen testing programme for aviation be established immediately. It is vital that the logistics and ICT systems for mass serial rapid antigen testing in aviation are put in place in line with the introduction of the EU Digital COVID Certificate (Digital Green Certificate) here.

“No further time can be lost here as aviation is crucial to Ireland’s connectivity and competitiveness, supporting over 140,000 jobs, almost 40,000 of which are direct employment by the sector.”

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