Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1763. To ask the Minister for Health the consultations he has had with communities from migrant backgrounds here when drawing up lists of countries subject to mandatory quarantine in detention centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18911/21]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1764. To ask the Minister for Health the rationale for the inclusion of San Marino, Andorra and Monaco on the list of countries requiring mandatory Covid-19 detention while not including Italy, France, Spain or neighbouring regions in those countries which face similar epidemiological situations as the countries on the list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18912/21]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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1780. To ask the Minister for Health the grounds upon which Israel was included in the list of countries from which mandatory quarantine is required on arrival here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18957/21]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1824. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised regarding quarantine regulations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19071/21]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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2060. To ask the Minister for Health the criteria used to determine a designated state for mandatory hotel quarantines; the process for choosing a designated state; if consultation takes place with those states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19706/21]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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2061. To ask the Minister for Health when designated states for mandatory hotel quarantines will be reviewed; the criteria that will be used to remove states from the list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19707/21]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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2068. To ask the Minister for Health the basis upon which Italy was added to the mandatory quarantine list of countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19732/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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2102. To ask the Minister for Health the criteria and process for adding and removing countries from the mandatory quarantine list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19838/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1763, 1764, 1780, 1824, 2060, 2061, 2068 and 2102 together.

Countries are designated for the purposes of mandatory hotel quarantine under section 38E of the Health Act 1947 in my capacity as Minister for Health following consultation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and other Minister(s) as appropriate having regard to the functions of that Minister(s).

An Expert Advisory Group on Travel to the CMO (EAGT) was established on 1 March 2021 to develop a method of risk assessing countries and to consider broader issues of travel and COVID-19. The EAGT considers factors including:

- Countries with prevalence or suspected prevalence of known variants of concern/ variants of interest.

- Countries with a very high 14-day incidence (≥500/100,000).

- Countries with a high 14-day incidence (greater than 2.5 times Ireland’s 14-day incidence but <500/100,000).

The Chief Medical Officer considers recommendations of the EAGT and in turn makes recommendations to the Minister for Health who makes the final decision regarding the designation of states.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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1765. To ask the Minister for Health if he plans to alter the mandatory Covid-19 detention system in order to comply with any EU regulation that facilitates travel within the EU on the basis of testing or vaccinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18913/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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At present there is no EU regulation or programme which facilitates non-essential travel in a way that requires alteration to the Mandatory Quarantine System.

The EU is looking at this issue at the moment and Ireland is engaging with the process.

The list of designated states under the Health Act 1947 will be reviewed in line with the advice provided by the Expert Advisory Group on Travel to the Chief Medical Officer. The Chief Medical Officer considers EAGT recommendations and in turn makes recommendations when considering the designation of individual states.

Quarantine of persons arriving from areas with a high incidence of variants of concern is considered a deterrent against the emergence of such variants in the state and as such all persons arriving from those designated states are required to undergo mandatory quarantine in a designated facility unless otherwise exempt.

The Government continues to evaluate wider policy on international travel as informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice. In this context, regulations have been introduced to allow fully vaccinated persons arriving from designated states to be exempt from Mandatory Hotel Quarantine. However, this only applies to persons who are fully vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine and there will still be a requirement for them to quarantine at home following arrival into the State.