Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

116. To ask the Minister for Health if further consideration has been given to exempting those vaccinated with WHO approved vaccines from mandatory hotel quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30251/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

174. To ask the Minister for Health if persons travelling into the country from states on the mandatory hotel quarantine list will be provided with an exemption to mandatory hotel quarantine in cases in which they are fully vaccinated with a World Health Organisation approved vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30512/21]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

182. To ask the Minister for Health if he plans to extend the exemption from mandatory hotel quarantine to persons fully vaccinated with a vaccine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30592/21]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

185. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider the recognition of a vaccine (details supplied) that if taken by a passenger would allow them to avoid mandatory hotel quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30596/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 174, 182 and 185 together.

As of 17th April, passengers who are fully vaccinated and have the documents to confirm this are no longer required to complete mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival in Ireland. Dependents, including children, will also be exempted from the requirement to complete mandatory hotel quarantine in this instance.

Please note that the 4 EMA approved vaccines currently accepted have specific definitions for when a person would be considered fully vaccinated.

The following table sets out the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’;

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.

Ireland supports the EU Procurement Process, the purpose of which is to secure safe and efficacious vaccines for EU citizens.

Covid 19 vaccines can only be approved and used if they comply with all the requirements of quality, safety and efficacy set out in the EU pharmaceutical legislation. No vaccine will be used until market authorisation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is obtained and any authorised vaccine will be subject to ongoing monitoring in Ireland by the Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

The delivery of vaccines under Advanced Purchase Agreement that the Commission has negotiated on behalf of Member States are predicated upon a Conditional Marketing Authorisation (CMA) being obtained from the Commission (on the basis of a positive recommendation being awarded by the EMA).

The awarding of a CMA provides a high level of assurance that a vaccine has undergone rigorous testing and has met the requirements of the independent regulatory process as regards demonstrating its safety and efficacy.

The Sinopharm vaccine has not been awarded a CMA to date.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

117. To ask the Minister for Health if fully vaccinated persons from the USA can visit Ireland without mandatory hotel quarantining once they have been vaccinated with an-EMA recognised vaccine and present with a negative PCR test carried out within the previous 72 hours on arrival. [30252/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

All persons who enter the State from abroad are subject to the Government's current travel restrictions upon arrival, unless exempted.

As of May 28th, persons arriving from the United States of America are no longer automatically subject to Mandatory Hotel Quarantine. However, they are still subject to other travel restrictions such as home quarantine, supplying passenger locator form information and ensuring they have evidence of a negative RT-PCR test which was taken in the 72 hours before arrival in the State.

All information in relation to Travelling to Ireland during the Covid-19 Pandemic is set out at www.gov.ie/quarantine.