Aubrey McCarthy

Good morning, David.

Thanks for having me on.

Anne, she was in touch with me last night, well, in the early hours of the morning.

All is good and she is absolutely delighted to be back.

You know, they touched down just after 9pm in Baldonnell and just a number of us followed the tracker, the air tracker, just to see the plane landing.

And, you know, it was huge relief to Anne and all her friends just to see that she made it safely back.

yeah um now from talking or from being in touch with her and from your own liaison with the department of foreign affairs what's your impression of how the repatriation went do you know huge credit is due and not only to the department of foreign affairs but also the department of health the air corps it was absolutely professional from the very start so so you know we're always ready to criticize the irish when we get it wrong but this was done second to none

So what was done yesterday, they executed a perfect mission and it got them safely back to Ireland.

And huge thanks to the Taoiseach and also to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Health.

They all worked together and now we have a successful outcome.

Yes, I had.

Yes.

Like, remember, this first came to light, I think it was the 2nd of May when it's like, so we're now the 11th.

So this has been a long run in.

And the passengers were sitting on a ship looking at Cape Verde and not being able to dock.

So psychologically...

That was a big issue.

But Anne Lane, anybody who knows her, a strong lady, a very private person, and she's not somebody who would want to be at the centre of this publicity.

So the whole international spotlight would be totally outside her comfort zone.

But fair play, everybody worked together.