David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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566. To ask the Minister for Health if he has considered recognising a vaccine (details supplied) for the purposes of exemption from hotel quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22822/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I have been given to understand that the vaccine known as Covishield gives equivalent protection to the version known as Oxford-AstraZeneca or Vaxzevria, as approved by the EMA. I have therefore asked that individuals vaccinated with Covishield be treated in the same way as those vaccinated with Oxford-AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria for the purposes of mandatory hotel quarantine. Covishield was officially added to the list of vaccines accepted for the purposes of exemption from Mandatory Hotel Quarantine on Friday 30th April (SI 211).

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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568. To ask the Minister for Health if travelling abroad to purchase property is considered essential travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22838/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is applying 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 suppressing transmission domestically.

S.I. 168/2021 states that “an applicable person shall not travel to an airport or port for the purpose of leaving the State without reasonable excuse”. A non-exhaustive list of reasonable excuses is set out in S.I. 168/2021. Statutory Instruments related to the COVID-19 pandemic are published at .