Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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2175. To ask the Minister for Health if matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) in relation to level 5 restrictions will receive a response. [20034/21]

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. All applicable travellers must reserve and pay for a place in mandatory hotel quarantine.

The Act identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine, including a person arriving in the state who "holds a valid annex 3 certificate in accordance with the Communication from the Commission on the implementation of the Green Lanes under the Guidelines for border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of goods and essential services...". Persons who are fully vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine are also exempt from quarantine in a designated facility, though such persons remain subject to any other travel restrictions in place.

The provisions of the Act also allows for travellers to request a review of decisions relating to their quarantine; however this can only be undertaken once quarantine has begun.

The Government continues to evaluate wider policy on international travel as informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice.

Neither I as Minister for Health nor my Department have a role in decisions relating to whether individual persons must enter mandatory quarantine or whether individual persons are exempted travellers. All such decisions are to be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Act.