Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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235. To ask the Minister for Health if an essential worker (details supplied) will be required to quarantine in a hotel after returning from abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13741/21]

Stephen 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.

Under the current travel regime passengers arriving into Ireland from overseas are required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form, to present evidence of a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival and to observe mandatory home quarantine.

Arrivals from "Category 1 states" can end the quarantine period if a not-detected PCR result is obtained from a PCR test taken no less than 5 days after arrival. Arrivals from "Category 2’ states" must complete the full 14-day period regardless of any negative test result. Arrivals from "Category 2 states" are advised to contact a GP to arrange a free PCR test. Positives identified through these tests are sent to the NVRL for genomic sequencing to detect the presence of new variants in Ireland. Tanzania is currently specified as a category 2 state.

SI No. 44/2021 sets out categories of travellers who are not subject to the home quarantine requirement. These include international transport workers including aviation and maritime crew, members of An Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces who travel in the course of their duties and persons who are travelling for unavoidable and time sensitive medical reasons.

Cross-departmental work is underway as a matter of urgency to provide for designated quarantine facilities following the passing of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2021 and it is the Government’s intention to commence the operation of mandatory hotel quarantine as soon as possible.