Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
663. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); if his officials will make contact with them with a view to offering advice; if he will facilitate their exemption from mandatory hotel quarantine on compassionate medical grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24309/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMandatory 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.
The Act identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine and a full list of exemptions can be accessed on gov.ie/quarantine.
With effect from 8th May, if a person has travelled abroad for unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive medical reasons they will not be required to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine on their return to Ireland. In addition, any carer or dependent travelling with this person will also be exempted from the requirement to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine.
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.
The provisions of the Act also allow for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine; however this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.
Neither I as Minister for Health nor my Department have a 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.
Further information can be accessed on gov.ie/quarantine.
