[ad_1]
People who violate the new mandatory quarantine rules of the proposed hotels could be liable for fines of up to 4,000 euros.
Cabinet ministers met practically late Wednesday night and approved the bill to introduce mandatory quarantine for passengers arriving in the state from 20 countries with a high incidence of new variants of Covid-19.
Health Minister Stephen Donnnelly presented the text of the health amendment bill to Cabinet on Tuesday, but discussions were postponed for a day to address a number of issues.
The disembodied meeting was suspended multiple times over the course of Wednesday to allow for the drafting of changes to the complex legislation.
Now substantial amendments have been made to the Government’s bill to mitigate concerns that it would restrict people’s civil liberties too much.
The ministers met to consider the changes Mr. Donnelly and Attorney General Paul Gallagher had made to the bill.
The proposed bill will include harsh penalties, including imprisonment for anyone who tries to avoid mandatory detention.
It includes proposed new crimes, such as leaving the hotel without permission, taking health or life risks, or refusing to take PCR tests for Covid-19. It is understood that those guilty of these crimes will face a fine of 4,000 euros or one month in prison.
It is also understood that the bill may include provisions to increase the fixed fine for traveling to an airport for non-essential reasons to € 2,000 from € 500.
It will also make provisions that allow people to leave their rooms for specific purposes, such as a medical emergency, during the 14-day quarantine period. However, there will be no exemptions from the quarantine requirement, although there will be a facility that will allow incoming passengers an appeal mechanism allowing them to prove they traveled for humanitarian purposes.
The child protection agency, Tusla, will assume responsibility for any unaccompanied minor entering the country. They will be allowed to quarantine at their place or residence, or at a Tusla facility, if they are unaccompanied and seek international protection.
The proposed legislation will have a three-month expiration clause, unless the Oireachtas agrees to extend its operation.
Among other changes to the proposed bill is a provision that will allow people arriving in Ireland from 20 countries with high levels of new Covid-19 variants to exit mandatory quarantine in hotels after 10 days instead of 14. , if they have a negative Covid test. taken that day.
Concerns were raised in Cabinet on Tuesday that certain people arriving in Ireland seeking asylum, or who are unaccompanied minors, or who are Irish citizens returning for the funeral of a close relative, would have their rights affected.
There was also a discussion in Cabinet on Tuesday about the circumstances in which people could leave their hotel rooms, with at least one minister expressing concern that confining them to their rooms in all circumstances would be too draconian a measure and would leave the open bill. to legal challenge.
The Irish Times also understands that the revised bill makes no reference to the level of charges for hotel quarantine (a figure of € 2,000 was discussed earlier this week) and that that issue is dealt with at the committee stage o by regulation.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Irish Civil Liberties Council expressed serious concerns about the proposed legislation saying it “constitutes a significant interference with the right to liberty and imposes a high duty of care on the state on travelers it proposes to detain.”
Wednesday night’s disembodied Cabinet meeting was originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, but was delayed until Tuesday night and then Wednesday morning before finally starting on Wednesday.
Government sources say the delay has essentially ended any hope that the bill will be introduced in the Dáil on Thursday. Now it is likely to be introduced into the Dáíl next week and its final approval may be delayed beyond the beginning of March.
[ad_2]