Written answers

Thursday, 14 October 2021

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Covid-19 Pandemic

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

142. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons including children seeking international protection who have been required to quarantine in hotels on arrival in Ireland by month to date in 2021; the number of persons that have been required to quarantine beyond 14 days; if those that receive a negative PCR test no earlier than five days after arrival are permitted to exit quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50258/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In the table below, the Deputy can see the number of persons quarantined on arrival since January, 2021, to date. As requested, this is broken down by month. Similarly, the table sets out the numbers of persons that have quarantined beyond 14 days. The average length of stay for those staying beyond 14 days is 21 days.

New arrivals since Jan 2021

Month of Admission: 2021 No. of Admissions No. of Participants Quarantined beyond 14 Days
January 199 91
February 115 47
March 181 47
April 146 58
May 211 85
June 277 80
July 340 91
August 517 187
September 639 198
October 265 0
Grand Total 2890 884

While mandatory quarantine arrangements have now been stepped down to a large degree, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), in consultation with the HSE and Public Health, continues to retain a number of quarantine facilities in the Dublin region. This is a precautionary measure to mitigate against the risk of COVID, and any new variants, entering the National Reception Centre in Balseskin and the wider IPAS accommodation network. In agreement with the HSE and Public Health authorities at the beginning of October, the length of quarantine required for new arrivals to be cleared for transfer to Balseskin has been reduced from 14 days to 5 days, subject to two negative PCR tests on Days 1 and 5 respectively.

Due to capacity issues arising from higher than predicted numbers of new arrivals some residents may still experience delays in their transfer to Balseskin but IPAS officials assure me they are actively working through these issues with the various stakeholders involved.

The services provided by IPAS are of course demand-led and, as demand is currently running higher than predicted, these arrangements are being kept under daily review by my officials to ensure that there is sufficient accommodation to house new arrivals in the State seeking international protection.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.