Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for bringing this motion to the House and for her opening remarks. I thank everyone involved in the mandatory hotel quarantining system, specifically hotel staff, Department officials, private security firms and members of the Defence Forces. It is important to remember that the mandatory hotel quarantining system was established at the peak of the third wave. Despite all its imperfections, which everyone can appreciate at this stage, it has achieved many limited goals. First, it has assisted in reducing the severity and duration of the third wave earlier this year. I think everyone can appreciate that. Second, it has detected over 350 active Covid cases. As a result of preventing those cases from infecting further people in the community downstream, it has reduced the number of active Covid cases being imported to this country. Third, and perhaps most importantly, it has delayed the onset of the fourth wave which is commencing now. That delay is important because it has allowed our vaccination programme to scale up and has bought us time.

I fully appreciate there are imperfections with hotel quarantining. First, the common travel area has complicated matters remarkably from a public health perspective, particularly in light of what is happening in England and how it is addressing the issue. That is beyond our control, however. We have been in a common travel area for a long time and I fully appreciate the complexities associated with that. The second big issue is the wide open land Border with Northern Ireland, which gives people the opportunity to circumvent our mandatory hotel quarantining system and complicates the process. I very much agree with Deputy O'Rourke that there are minor peripheral issues that need to be resolved. If the system is extended again, perhaps we can address those in the future.

I look forward to the time when mandatory hotel quarantining will not be required. With the success of our vaccination programme, which is the envy of the world, this country is approaching herd immunity and will achieve it in the next couple of months. Does the Minister of State have in mind a ballpark date for commencing the wind-down of mandatory hotel quarantining, bearing in mind that we are approaching herd immunity in this jurisdiction?

I support the motion. It is prudent and sensible, particularly with the onset of the fourth wave. I hope it will not have to be extended beyond 31 October because at that stage it will have done its job, we will have achieved herd immunity and we can get on with our lives.

See this speech in context