Mandatory hotel quarantine
Deputy Smith pressed for urgent legislation, tougher fines, and better enforcement on mandatory hotel quarantine, citing people exploiting weak procedures and ongoing delays. The Taoiseach said the €500 fine will rise, legislation is being prepared for Cabinet, and legal and liberty issues are being considered.
That is good to hear about Moyross.
Our question is on mandatory hotel quarantine. We are expecting legislation next week. Everyone knows here and we are hearing reports about UK emigrants who are hanging out in Ireland for a couple of weeks to get through our lax procedures in order to get a back door into the UK. We have a situation whereby people who are travelling for non-essential reasons, i.e. going on holiday, are being fined €500, handing it over and still being allowed go on their holiday. Why are we so far behind on implementing this? What is the latest status of the fines? Will the level of fine be changed? Will non-essential travellers be fined and sent back to their home?
Comment on this
About 60% of those travelling are returned Irish holidaymakers. There is a sense that €500 is not a sufficient disincentive to travel abroad. That will be increased. The Government is considering increasing that to €2,000 to act as a significant deterrent to people travelling because all non-essential travelling should be avoided. It is the intention to bring forward legislation for approval to Cabinet next Tuesday to deal with mandatory quarantining. If it can be done before that, every effort will be made to that end. There are significant complex legal and personal liberty issues involved that we have to be clear on, including in our own Constitution.