Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
1943. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if merchant navy, seafarers and professionally trained maritime crew travelling abroad for work-related purposes fall within the grouping of essential international travel under the proposed Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19370/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra1944. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if he will revise the listing of professions involved in international travel that are exempted from mandatory hotel quarantining during the Covid-19 pandemic; if he will consider merchant navy, seafarers and professionally trained maritime crew as an essential travel category that falls under exemption form mandatory hotel quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19371/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1944 and 1943 together.
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. The full list of exempted travellers is available on gov.ie/quarantine.
The provisions of the Act also allows for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine. However this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.
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.
Similarly, maritime masters and maritime crew travelling in the course of their duties are exempt from the obligations under SI No. 135/2021 regarding pre-departure testing and mandatory home quarantine. S.I. 45 / 2021 exempts maritime crew from the obligation to present evidence of a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form upon arrival.
