Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the proposed travel restrictions. While travel-related cases have remained relatively low, it is time to introduce travel restrictions of this nature. We know from countries such as Australia that mandatory hotel quarantine, if done correctly, is hugely effective at managing travel-related cases. Our cases have reached a concerning plateau, due in part to the UK variant, which is 90% more transmissible and now accounts for 90% of our cases. It has contributed to much of the devastation and frustration felt over the past few months.

Mandatory hotel quarantine will help stem the spread of new variants but it will not affect holidaymakers. Last month, in one single day, 800 people entered Ireland, of whom 542 were Irish and almost 400 of these were returning from a holiday abroad. Countries included in our proposed list for hotel quarantine are not typical holiday destinations for Irish people. It is my genuine fear that we are missing a trick here. Anecdotally, I have heard of Irish people factoring in the price of travel fines to their holiday budgets. Worse again, we have instances of people being stopped and fined by the Garda but still continuing to board a plane and fly to their holiday destination simply because they can. Covid-19 does not care where people are coming from or how far they have travelled. Covid-19 does not continue in the same breath.

We do not know where the next variant will originate or how transmissible it will be. Exactly a year ago this week, the very first case of Covid-19 was detected in Ireland. It entered through the arrival gates of Dublin Airport. Since then, two new strains have come through Dublin Airport. The latest variant associated with California has a very real chance of making it to Irish shores because the United States is not one of the 20 designated countries on the current list.

If we allow people to take non-essential journeys into Ireland and simply ask them to self-isolate, we do a disservice to all of the sacrifices Irish people have made. The message is clear. Do not travel outside of the 5 km limit unless absolutely necessary. Holidaymakers are choosing to disregard the 5 km limit, not just to travel outside of their county but outside of their country in the midst of a global pandemic. One would have to think that maybe those same people will choose to disregard quarantine advice unless they are forced to do so. I ask the Minister to seriously consider extending the list of countries requiring mandatory hotel quarantine beyond the 20 high-risk countries. I appreciate he can do that as he sees fit under the proposed legislation.

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