Mandatory Address Details and 14 Days Isolation Needed or No Entry at Airports
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has called on the government to “introduce mandatory address of residency and details of 14 days isolation to be provided by each person to gain entry into the country by ports and airports”.
He stated: “If a person does not provide a clear and verifiable address of residency and cannot prove that they will be isolating for 14 days that person should be refused admission into the country. There is no point in the country suffering a damaging and prolonged lockdown for months if we are simply going to allow the virus new access to the country every day. There must also be regular checks to ensure people are adhering to the self-isolation”.
An Teachta Tóibín also called for the ending of internal flights. He stated; “It does not make sense that there is a limit of 5km for people to travel by car for non-essential travel and yet you can get into a small metal tube with many others and travel 200 miles with no checks. Essential travel can be achieved through driving on the roads at this time”.
“Its deeply frustrating that we have had to raise the issue of the laxity at our Airports over and over again with the Taoiseach. Each time he has stated that he will review the situation, that they will make changes but in reality, we are no further on”.
“It is also clear that Island of Ireland is not operating as one controlled unit in the fight against Covid-19. The southern government announced the plan for the extended lockdown with out any consultation with the Executive in the North. The north was an afterthought. Its also clear that Covid-19 is circulating at higher rates in the north. There is far less testing and reporting of the illness in the north. Arlene Foster has been a disaster. She has put her own constitutional objectives over the health the citizens. This dual approach has led in my view to spikes of the illness along the border”.
The incidence of the virus is falling, thankfully. Yet it remains in Ireland with its tragic effects. There also remains significant threats. It is Aontú’s view that if we address these threats it is absolutely possible that we can lift the lockdown for many people and businesses sooner than the timescale provided by the government.
