Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is important to note that mandatory quarantine can work and can be a key pillar of our defences during this pandemic. Its purpose is to limit the importation and spread of the virus. It is, and should only be, a temporary measure. Mandatory quarantine in a designated facility for non-essential travel from any country has a part to play in suppressing the virus and ensuring that we do not import further cases or dangerous variants. We recognise, however, that there have been many difficulties with the system currently in place. A range of issues have been brought to my attention regarding the definition of "essential", the conditions in some facilities and undue delays in visa processing for travel from designated countries. Sinn Féin has raised these matters with the Government and believes that this is due entirely to the rushed nature of the legislation. The Government had ten months to prepare but dragged its feet. The consequences are clear for all to see.

It is reasonable to say that those who must travel for essential family or medical reasons or return to the State for legal reasons should be permitted to self-quarantine, where possible and appropriate, but the decision on these definitions must be guided by the public health advice. The Government should recognise the circumstances of these individuals and have a robust appeals process in place to prevent people having to resort to expensive legal action. We must weigh up the risk of permitting self-quarantine in essential circumstances. The Government should also consider subsidising or fully covering the cost of hotel quarantine on a case-by-case basis. After months of dithering, hotel quarantine legislation was forced through at the last minute and no time was afforded to considering essential travel and the handling of hard cases. These powers should be brought back for regular scrutiny and approval by the Oireachtas. That is why it would be more appropriate to return here in July rather than November to review this legislation. The Minister was given extraordinary powers in good faith, and to push an extension to November is to push it too far. It would be more appropriate for the Minister to return to the House in July to extend the emergency powers, if necessary, and to explain the context in which they are needed. That is a fair ask.

We also need to see greater North-South co-operation. I was dismayed to hear Minister Robin Swann say earlier this week that he had been seeking a meeting with the Minister for two weeks. This is not acceptable. We need to work together if we are to stop the spread of this virus.

Finally, while I have the Minister here, I wish to refer briefly to our health service. We need to address the crisis in our health service and the massive backlogs that were not caused by Covid but are being made worse by it. People are receiving life-changing news about amputations, cancer and in some cases potentially terminal diagnoses on their own with no family support apart from phone calls. We have discussed this previously. Imagine telling your loved ones over the phone in a public ward that you have had such a diagnosis. That is cruel and we must find a way around it if at all possible.

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