Written answers

Thursday, 11 March 2021

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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196. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide clarity on the meaning of related services which are listed under essential level 5 restrictions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13638/21]

Photo of Alan DillonAlan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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232. To ask the Minister for Health if a sector (details supplied) can operate during the current public health restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13720/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 232 together.

As the Deputies are aware, the public health restrictions at level 5 of the Government's Framework Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 will remain in place until 5th April 2021, when a further review will be conducted. The Framework continues to provide an appropriate mechanism to guide decision-making, and it will continue to be supplemented by more detailed sectoral guidance in relation to measures that apply at each level of the Framework.

On 23rd February, 2021, the Government published it's updated plan for managing Covid-19 - . This three part plan reviews the learnings from our experience to date, considers the enormous impacts our efforts to manage and suppress the disease have had on our economy and on our society and sets out a cautious and measured approach to the easing of restrictions over the coming months.

Information on the revised plan is available here: .

The public health measures recognise the need to reduce congregation and interactions between people to reduce the transmission of Covid-19. The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the plan is based on a review of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible. The measures in place for each level reflect the prevailing disease situation and recognise that we can and must prioritise some activities over others.

At level 5, all non-essential retail, and all non-essential services must remain closed. Information in relation to the current public health measures in place for essential retail and essential services at level 5 is available at:- and .

Funeral, burial and related services are listed as essential under 'Administrative and Support Activities'. The Deputies may wish to note that, the related services are necessary ancillary services in order to provide for the holding of a funeral service and burial, including administration required following a death.

The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (NO. 10) Regulations 2020 Regulation (S.I. 701 of 2020), sets out the relevant businesses or services under the current public health measures. Statutory Instruments related to the Covid-19 pandemic are available here: .

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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197. To ask the Minister for Health if a family is permitted under the current regulations to travel to Lanzarote if the purpose of the journey is to attend a specialised centre for water-based physiotherapy for a child with cerebral palsy. [13639/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has introduced more stringent measures applying to international travel in order to mitigate against the risk of new variants being imported through travel and to protect the progress we are making in supressing transmission domestically.

SI No. 44/2021 places testing and quarantine obligations on arriving passengers. Where a person travels to the State for unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive medical reasons, they will be exempt from these requirements. However, a person who travels from the State for medical treatment abroad is required to meet the testing and quarantine requirements on their return.

SI No 29/2021 details reasonable excuses for travel to an airport or port for purpose of leaving the State. These include:

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

The Government gives continuing consideration to international travel including policy on travel for medical reasons.

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