Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1759. To ask the Minister for Health the provision he plans to make for persons in mandatory hotel quarantine that have a need to provide care for children or others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18907/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Act 1947, as amended, provides that all persons arriving in Ireland from a designated state, or having travelled through a designated state in the previous 14 days, are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility unless they are an exempted traveller under the Act.

The safety, wellbeing and comfort of all guests quarantining in a designated facility is a priority of the mandatory quarantine system, along with the ultimate goal of protecting public health by limiting the potential spread of COVID-19 variants of concern.

All facilities in the mandatory quarantine system have a designated outdoor area on-site which guests will be allowed to use on a scheduled basis up to three times daily, subject to their having received a 'not detected' result in their initial RT-PCR test. Additional time will be available to families with children should they request it.

All guests undergoing mandatory quarantine in a designated facility are being provided with access to a 24/7 on-site healthcare team who hold clinical responsibility for their wellbeing during their stay. The on-site healthcare team are available to address any wellbeing concerns of guests through both scheduled daily check-in calls during a guest's stay as well as through direct engagement if requested. Guests requiring any specific, urgent or emergency care which cannot be provided on-site at a hotel may also be referred to a dedicated medical facility by the on-site healthcare team.

Guests who wish to access other services, such as online education services, may arrange to do so through normal channels. The hotel service provider will endeavour to facilitate any requests for assistance in accessing such channels.

The State Liaison Officer (SLO) will have staff onsite 24/7 at each designated facility to liaise between guests and the service provider if required.

All reasonable efforts will be made by both service provider staff and the on-site health team to facilitate a comfortable stay in a designated facility.

No provision exists in the Health Act 1947 as amended, nor the design of the mandatory quarantine system for the provision of care of persons outside of the mandatory quarantine system. Any such required support should be accessed through usual channels.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1760. To ask the Minister for Health the budget allocated for the provision of mandatory Covid-19 detention facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18908/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Mandatory Hotel Quarantine has been introduced with the aim of protecting Ireland from the importation of COVID-19, particularly Variants of Concern. As Minister I am committed to protecting public health as a matter of urgency, and my Department continues to work with all State stakeholders and with Tifco Hotel Group to implement this policy, and to ensure that those who enter Mandatory Hotel Quarantine are comfortable and secure as they comply with the public health advice for all of our benefit.

On awarding of the contract with the service provider, a cost model was developed which sees travellers pre-booking and pre-paying to cover the cost of all services required as part of their stay in mandatory quarantine. There are certain fixed costs in relation to standing up and operating the system which have been established in the contract, and must be paid by the Department. A table of charges was agreed based on how many hotel facilities are brought in or out of use, and those terms of the contract remain commercially sensitive.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1761. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons that have entered mandatory Covid-19 detention facilities since its commencement; the number that have been due to the failure to provide a PCR test result; the number that have had positive results upon testing in the detention facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18909/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As of Thursday 15 of April:

- a total of 416 guests have completed mandatory quarantine in a designated facility and a further 478 guests were in a designated facility at that time.

- 97 guests have attended a designated facility due to lack of negative RT-PCR test upon arrival in the state.

- There have been 19 Covid-19 detected cases in guests undergoing quarantine in a designated facility.