Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2021
499. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if there is no requirement for mandatory hotel quarantine and the PCR test before arrival and home isolation in cases in which a person has received the first dose of a vaccine (details supplied) at least four weeks prior to their departure and subsequent arrival here given reports in the media in relation to same. [27127/21]
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 www.gov.ie/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.
A person is not considered fully vaccinated until 15 days after they receive their second dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
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.
