I propose to take Questions Nos. 1329, 1330, 1332 and 1334 together.
My Department has received representations from Erasmus+ students following the decision to extend the list of countries subject to mandatory quarantine at a designated facility on arrival in Ireland. At present, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Italy are the Erasmus+ Programme Countries in this category.
Ireland is designated as a programme country under the Erasmus+ programme. As a programme country, Ireland is eligible to participate in all actions of the programme and has benefitted significantly from our participation.
As part of the programme, each programme country must nominate a National Authority to monitor and supervise the management of the programme at National level. Ireland’s nominated Erasmus+ national authority is based in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
As national authority, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has designated the Higher Education Authority (HEA), as national agency for Erasmus+ in the field of higher education. As the national agency, the HEA is responsible for the participation of the higher education sector. The national authority provides co-funding for the operational costs to the European Programmes Unit of the HEA.
The policy of the national authority has always been to strongly encourage participation in the Erasmus+ programme. On this basis, the Department as national authority, has agreed at the request and advice of the national agency, to cover the cost of mandatory hotel quarantine for Erasmus+ participants at all levels who are returning to Ireland from countries on the quarantine list.
We are currently working with the Department of Health on the arrangements to support this decision.