President Michael D. Higgins enacts mandatory quarantine legislation

Updated 1 hour ago

PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins signed legislation to establish mandatory quarantine in a designated facility for certain passengers entering the country.

The 2021 Health (Amendment) Bill was introduced to the Dáil by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly last month.

It was passed in both the Dáil and the Seanad and now the president has signed it into law.

The bill provides for a mandatory quarantine system at designated facilities.

People arriving in Ireland from certain countries will need to stay in designated hotels for up to 14 days.

Having considered the 2021 Health (Amendment) Bill, the President signed the bill and it became law accordingly.

– President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) March 7, 2021

Welcoming the news today, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that the operationalization of the quarantine facilities “proceeds interdepartmentally as a matter of priority.”

The Department of Health is leading the implementation process, with the support of various departments and agencies, including Foreign Affairs, Transportation, Justice, Public Expenditure and Reform, Children, Defense Forces, as well as through contributions from the private sector.

“The next step in this process is finalizing and signing a contract with a service provider. I anticipate this will happen shortly, ”said Minister Donnelly.

The government continues to discourage all non-essential international travel and a number of legal measures have been put in place to enforce this policy.

Passengers traveling to Ireland from certain designated states must complete a full 14-day quarantine period.

This applies to all passengers in designated states, regardless of nationality, and the goal of this measure is to protect the public from the challenges posed by new variants of concern. A list of designated states is available here.

A National Oversight Group for Variants of Concern has been established to monitor and address the challenges posed by VOC.

The group advises the Medical Director, who in turn advises the Minister of Health on the countries to be specified as designated states.

The list of designated states is subject to continuous review.

With reporting by Orla Dwyer