Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
783. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the assistance available to a person (detail supplied) in order that they can be considered exempt in relation to mandatory hotel quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24065/21]
View answerThe Health Act 1947, as amended, provides that all persons arriving in Ireland from a designated state, or having travelled through a designated state in the previous 14 days, are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility unless they are an exempted traveller under the Act.
The Act identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine, and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on www.gov.ie/quarantine.
The Act refers to a "...maritime master or maritime crew who arrives in the State in the course of performing his or her duties" as an exempted traveller. This provision applies only to maritime crew on-board ship serving Irish ports who arrive in the state as part of their duties.
The Government continues to evaluate wider policy on international travel as informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice, including the possibility of future exemptions, such as for certain categories of essential workers. Public health will remain a paramount consideration.
As of 17th April, passengers who are 'fully vaccinated' and have the documents to confirm this are no longer required to complete mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival in Ireland. Dependents, including children, will also be exempted from the requirement to complete mandatory hotel quarantine in this instance. Please note that the 4 EMA approved vaccines currently accepted have specific definitions for when a person would be considered 'fully vaccinated'.
All guests are responsible for the full cost of their stay in a quarantine facility, including their initial booking as well as any additional costs which might be incurred.
It should be noted that in some limited and exceptional cases, such as emergency repatriation of a citizen, a deferral on the requirement to pre-pay for quarantine while booking may be granted by the Department of Foreign Affairs. This deferral does not remove the responsibility of such guests to pay for the full cost of their quarantine in a designated facility.
The provisions of the Act allow for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine in a designated facility; however, this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.
Neither I as Minister for Health nor my Department have any role in decisions relating to whether individual persons must enter mandatory quarantine or whether individual persons are exempted travellers. All such decisions are to be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
