Thomas Gould
Ceist:613. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the documentation needed to guarantee exemption from mandatory hotel quarantine on the basis of travel for a medical appointment. [25849/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 22 June 2021
Ceisteanna (613)
Freagraí scríofa
Mandatory 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 www.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. They will be required to present a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner or from a person holding an equivalent qualification outside the State to the effect that they had an unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive reason for so travelling. 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 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.
It is important to note that the list of designated states will be subject to change at short notice and passengers are required to check the list before travelling to Ireland, to be sure of their obligations.
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.