Reversing ban should be considered

Minister for Health Micheál Martin appeared yesterday to let the door open a fraction for a possible rethink on his decision to ban Special Olympics athletes from the five regions he designated as a risk because of SARS.

Understandably, that announcement attracted a considerable degree of criticism because it ostensibly affected the athletes only, but not other travellers from the areas in question.

On that basis it was an ill-judged decision, because it appeared to isolate those travelling to the Special Olympics specifically, without any restrictions whatever being imposed on regular travellers arriving in this country from the same five countries.