Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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903. To ask the Minister for Health if elite athletes traveling abroad to compete fall within the grouping of essential international travel under the proposed Covid-19 restrictions; if not, if they will be required to hotel quarantine depending on the country they are returning from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16489/21]

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.

Passengers arriving into Ireland from overseas may be 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.

Under SI 135/2021, exemptions exist from home quarantine requirements for competitors and persons whose participation is essential to the running of events organised by Sport Ireland. Where such a person has been in a designated state within 14 days of arrival to Ireland, these exemptions do not apply and they are subject to the requirements of hotel quarantine.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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904. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to seafarers relating to the Covid-19 restrictions (details supplied); and if they will be required to quarantine on return to Ireland. [16491/21]

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.

Exemptions from quarantine requirements apply for international transport workers who are travelling the course of their duties. These include freight workers who are the bearer of an Annex 3 certificate or who are drivers of a heavy goods vehicle; and transport workers who are aircraft pilot, other aircrew, maritime master or maritime crew.