Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 May 2021
399. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding essential travel for overseas work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25210/21]
View answerMandatory hotel quarantine has been introduced as one element of Ireland’s public health measures to combat the transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern.
The 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. All applicable travellers must reserve and pay for a place in mandatory hotel quarantine.
At present the UK is not a designated state for the purposes of mandatory hotel quarantine. Passengers who are travelling from non-designated countries and are not required to undergo quarantine in a designated facility are still subject to other travel restrictions, such as the need to provide a negative pre-departure PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever specified in their passenger locator form.
The designation of states will be subject to ongoing review in line with the provisions of the Act.
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'.
Passengers who are fully vaccinated and exempt from hotel quarantine are still subject to other travel restrictions, such as the need to provide a negative pre-departure PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever specified in their passenger locator form.
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.
