James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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788. To ask the Minister for Health the hotels which will be used for inbound travellers to mandatorily quarantine when arriving into Ireland (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9500/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The operationalisation of designated quarantine facilities, including the drafting of primary legislation to underpin these facilities and the procurement of hotels and ancillary services, is being advanced on a cross-departmental basis as a matter of priority.

My Department is leading this process, and that complex work is being supported by officials from across a number of Departments including Foreign Affairs, Transport, Justice, Public Expenditure and Reform, as well as Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, as well as via input from the private sector.

This group is currently working urgently to establish the scope of services required to put these facilities in place.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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790. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a series of matters (details supplied) regarding foreign travel during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9503/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has introduced a range of measures to mitigate the risk of importing variants of concern including a mandatory testing requirement for arriving passengers. Since the 16th January passengers arriving in Ireland from overseas (including those entering via Northern Ireland) are required to present evidence of a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel upon arrival.

The Department of Health is aware of residual positive tests in some recovered COVID patients and is examining the issue with public health officials. The issue is common to many countries with travel testing requirements and is also being discussed at EU level.

Under the current mandatory testing regime in Ireland, exemptions from the pre-departure test requirement are in place for international transport workers, passengers travelling with an urgent medical need and for travellers with genuine humanitarian emergencies unable to obtain a pre-departure RT-PCR test before travel.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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791. To ask the Minister for Health if emigration is considered essential travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9507/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government continues to advise against all non-essential travel at the current time. SI No 29/2021 provides a non-exhaustive list of reasonable excuses for travel to an airport or port for purpose of leaving the State. These reasons include:

- To work, comply with a contract of employment or contract for services, or otherwise engage in work or employment;

- To provide services to, or perform the functions of, an office holder appointed under any enactment or under the Constitution, or a member of either House of the Oireachtas, the European Parliament or a local authority;

- To provide services essential to the functioning of diplomatic missions and consular posts in the State;

- To attend, for educational reasons a primary or secondary school, or a university, higher education institution or other education and training facility, to the extent that it is necessary for such educational reasons to attend in person;

- To accompany any other person residing with the person, or a vulnerable person, to one of the education facilities mentioned above;

- To attend a medical or dental appointment, or accompany, to such an appointment, any other person residing with the person, or a vulnerable person;

- To seek essential medical, health or dental assistance for the person, for any other person residing with the person, or for a vulnerable person;

- To attend to vital family matters (including providing care to vulnerable persons);

- To attend a funeral;

- To fulfil a legal obligation (including attending court, satisfying bail conditions, or participating in ongoing legal proceedings), attend a court office where required, initiate emergency legal proceedings or execute essential legal documents;

- if the person is a parent or guardian of a child, or a person having a right of access to a child, to give effect to arrangements for access to the child by the person, or another person who is: (I) a parent or guardian of the child, or (II) a person having a right of access to the child; and

- where the person is not ordinarily resident in the State, to leave the State.

The Government gives continuing consideration to travel policy informed by the epidemiological situation internationally and public health advice.