Testing should be extended into travel area in coordinated approach across EU - Eamon Ryan

Testing at airports was one of the elements being examined under the Government’s forthcoming national plan for Covid-19

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said that he believes testing should be extended into the travel area, but as part of a coordinated approach across Europe.

Testing at airports was one of the elements being examined under the Government’s forthcoming national plan for Covid-19, he told RTÉ radio’s News at One.

The European Commission was looking for a coordinated approach so there would be the same standards across Europe.

The same system would be used to measure the risk in terms of international travel with three different categories - green, amber and red, he explained.

“What we'll have to look at next week is whether we adopt that type of European approach. I believe that has real benefits.

"It gives people in the travel industry the certainty that this is part of a wider European approach - that is the first key decision that we need to make.” 

Testing would also be part of such an approach, he said.

“At the moment testing is targeted at areas such as GP referrals, congregated settings which are potentially vulnerable, at work places.

"I believe yes we should extend that into the travel area and we will do that, but we will do it best when we do it with other European countries as part of a systemic approach and that European Commission approach is the right one.

“It will take a couple of weeks for that to be agreed at European level, but because you have to do it at either end of the flight you do it on a reciprocal basis, doing it in that way is the right way to go.

“The first decision we need to make is do we adopt the basic standards that they're setting, but we'll have to make that call next week.” 

The plan on Tuesday will not just be about the immediate decisions the Government has to make regarding Covid, he added.

“That's an ongoing process, it is about trying to set up a framework for the next six months so that people can understand that it isn't that it changes every week or there's uncertainty about what the regulations mean 

“It is to set out in the simplest terms possible what the various levels are, depending on what the level of the virus is in the community is.

Unfortunately it looks like we are in the next six months going to have to live with this virus, unless a vaccine turns up sooner than expected.

“The Irish people we have done well in terms of minimising the impact, there's been terrible loss, but compared to what it could have been I think we have actually done well.

"We're all fed up with having to live with this, think it will be easier when it's done on a systematic, not changing every week, not changing every month but various levels so depending on what's happening, particularly at local, county by county level, we can manage it.

“I think we can manage it. It won't be easy, but I think we've shown we can do it.

"That's what this plan was set out to do, to try to help the Irish people by making it as systematic as possible.” 

The Minister said that no one in the political world or outside wanted to see more restrictions.

“Everything we can do to avoid it we certainly shall do, but that's the balancing act - in terms of trying to protect lives and at the same time protect livelihoods.” 

A decision on the opening of wet pubs would be made next week once it has been determined what has happened in recent days in relation to numbers, he said.

We'll be watching to see what's happening and I think that's the right approach to do it rather than trying to make a call now.

“Easing restrictions and varying restrictions as we move into this phase was always going to be more difficult than the first phase which was just locking everything down.

"I'm confident that the Government is working very effectively internally and while it's not easy and while we make mistakes like anyone else, my experience internally is quite united, quite determined.

"Not just within the political parties, but with the public health advisors, with the various civil servants who've got a central role in this, with the HSE and with a whole range of other agencies and businesses and communities who have a role.

“We've seen a rise in recent weeks, that's very unfortunate, we're not the only country to see that.

"I believe we can continue to do well by comparison, because working well together is what we do.”