Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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1963. To ask the Minister for Health if he will reconsider the need for mandatory quarantining passengers who transit from countries on the mandatory hotel quarantine list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19435/21]

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.

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.

As of 17th April, travellers who are fully vaccinated with an EMA approved vaccine and have documents to prove vaccination are exempt. Fully vaccinated travellers are still required to have a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test and complete a period of self-quarantine at home or wherever specified in their passenger locator form.