Protecting citizens from second virus wave 'a first priority'

The Covid Tracker app is an extremely important step in fight against the virus, a Mayo Oireachtas member has stated.

Senator Lisa Chambers said she hopes the app will prove useful in tracing contacts and will help us in the weeks and months ahead as we continue to fight this pandemic. 

"It is worth noting that a lot of work has gone into making this app user-friendly and available to all citizens. That is positive.

"I note that some concerns have been raised with regard to data protection. There seem to be good assurances, however, that the app is safe to use. 

"For what it is worth, I believe it is worth giving it a go and trying it out. The more people who sign up for and use this app, the more it will help us trace contacts very quickly. 

"I say this in light of the increasing pressures to open things up faster with regard to international travel and people moving between counties and in and out of the country. 

"We need to ensure that there are robust mechanisms in place to deal with this. 

"I believe we would all agree that, given that nearly all of the legislation we will be debating in the Senate in the coming weeks is related to Covid, our first priority should be to do all we can to protect our country and our citizens from a second wave."