In the programme for Government, I highlight the section on building stronger and safer communities on page 84. It states:

Community safety is at the heart of the ongoing transformation of An Garda Síochána. The new Government will ensure that this will be a key part of our social contract with citizens. An Garda Síochána is enriched by its resilient links in the areas it works with and protects.

There must be clarity regarding the protection of all our citizens, especially children, following Covid. It has come to my attention in my constituency that various people are coming back from holidays or from working abroad in the UK or Germany, and other countries, and are not isolating.

We must look after children and families who are staying home in Ireland and who are not travelling for holidays. In the context of the programme for Government and the issue of community safety, how will the return to school be policed? People are travelling by air and by ferry. There must be a system linked to passport numbers in order that schools can be alerted in advance about children who should be isolating. Where parents travel for work and return home to their families, children may need to stay out of school while their parents are isolating. September is fast approaching and self-isolation for children will have to commence by the middle of August in order that they can return to school.

As we have consistently stated, the safest thing to do during Covid-19 right now is not to travel but rather to holiday in Ireland or stay at home. One of our overarching priorities or objectives - this is why we have taken a very cautious approach, particularly in terms of the commencement of phase 4 and the compulsory wearing of masks on public transport - which I ensured happened the week before last and with which the public complied very quickly - relates to getting our schools open at the end of August. That is essential for the well-being of the children of the nation and their development. To me, it is the number one priority. Alongside it is the resumption of the non-Covid-19 strand of health services. In my view, there is clear guidance to the effect that anyone who travels outside of the 15 countries we identified should, without question, restrict their movements when they return to Ireland. We do not want families travelling to holiday destinations outside of those 15 countries in the first place. It is very important that they do not risk the capacity of schools to reopen or create situations that could lead to the spread of the virus. It is extremely important that we all adhere to the guidance and the guidelines.

Ireland has done well in respect of Covid-19. The levels of the virus are still low here. It is important to make that point. I am just back from the European Council and it was noticeable that some member states are finding difficulties in reopening. As they have reopened, the incidence rate in some countries has increased significantly and this has resulted in localised and citywide lockdowns. We want to avoid that in Ireland at all costs. This really speaks to two things, namely, our individual behaviour and the behaviour of families and communities and, aligned to that, the need, as I said earlier, to develop a strong and speedy testing and contact tracing system. To be fair, in the past month alone, a substantial number of tests have taken place on a systemic basis, for example, within nursing homes across the country. That type of targeted work will continue. The speed of that service will be very important in enabling us to suppress the spread of the virus into the future.

I agree with everything the Taoiseach said but the best way forward in respect of this matter is to take an all-island approach. There should be a link to the passport number of anyone leaving this country by air or by ferry. This is the fastest way to police matters. Using the passport system to police the pandemic is the fastest way to track anyone leaving the country or coming into it. Be it children, parents or whomever, everyone should be tracked when leaving and when coming back. There should be a system to enable An Garda Síochána to trace people when they come back into the country. In the context of schools, such a system would show when families return to Ireland. If a member of a family returns to a household, having been abroad in one of the high-risk areas outside of the 15 countries, then the family must isolate. This would ensure that other children within the school system would not be put at risk. The majority of people are cognisant of Covid-19 and are very respectful of the rules. However, there is a minority of people who do not care and it is these individuals that we must police.

The electronic locator form will give us the capacity to follow up on the contacts of anyone who tests positive for Covid-19. People travelling from places such as those referred to by the Deputy would be jeopardising the overall health status of particular communities or schools. It is very important that we have the capacity to contact trace people and the electronic form will give us that to a strong degree. We decided last night to establish a call centre and this will enable rapid follow-up. The key advice, internationally and from the World Health Organization, is the capacity to contact people who may have been in contact with somebody who had or has Covid-19 quickly. This really is the issue if we are to live with Covid-19 in a reasonable way that allows activity and allows people to engage, as much as possible, in normal family, community and economic life. More and more people will go to this or that sector but the fundamentals have not changed in the context of Covid-19, namely, etiquette, handwashing, social distancing and the guidance we introduced two weeks ago in terms of limiting gatherings in households to ten people. Those are the essentials that will ultimately enable us to live reasonably with Covid-19 into the foreseeable future.