Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 June 2020
337. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to allowing persons with holiday homes outside the 20 km zone to be given permission to travel to them to carry out essential maintenance and upkeep on these homes earlier than the anticipated date in the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9777/20]
View answerThe Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business, published on 1 May 2020, sets out an indicative path to the easing of COVID 19 restrictions and other actions in order to facilitate the reopening of Ireland’s society and economy in a phased manner. Phase 1 was introduced on 18 May 2020 and, as the Deputy is aware, the Government confirmed the move to Phase 2 of Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business from Monday, 8 June 2020. Information and advice about the restrictions that have been eased as part of Phase 2 and the measures that are now in place are available on the Government website at http://www.gov.ie/phase2.
The Roadmap specifies that decisions in relation to which actions will be taken and which public health measures might be lifted will be made in accordance with the Framework for Future Decision-Making which is as follows:
1. Before each Government consideration of the easing of restrictions, the Department of Health will provide a report to the Government regarding the following on/off trigger criteria:
a. The latest data regarding the progression of the disease,
b. The capacity and resilience of the health service in terms of hospital and ICU occupancy,
c. The capacity of the programme of sampling, testing and contact tracing,
d. The ability to shield and care for at risk groups,
e. An assessment of the risk of secondary morbidity and mortality as a consequence of the restrictions.
2. It will also provide risk-based public health advice on what measures could be modified in the next period.
3. The Government would then consider what restrictions could be lifted, having regard to the advice of the Department of Health as well as other social and economic considerations, e.g. the potential for increased employment, relative benefits for citizens and businesses, improving national morale and wellbeing etc.
4. It is acknowledged that there is also an ongoing possibility that restrictions could be re-imposed and this process will be carried out on an ongoing basis once every 3 weeks.
As is clear from the framework described above, it is the Government rather than I or my Department that will decide on any modifications to the current public health measures in place and those decisions will be informed by the status of the on/off trigger criteria and the public health advice received at the time that a decision is being made.
The current public health advice regarding travel is that people are asked to stay local. People may travel within their own county, or 20 kilometres from home if crossing county boundaries, to visit local venues or amenities such as parks and shops that have reopened as part of the Government’s Roadmap. The regulatory framework underpinning this public health advice is Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (SI No. 206 of 2020). Travel for essential purposes is permitted under the regulations.
