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HOTEL QUARANTINING MEASURES for travellers who are coming from specific countries where there is an increased risk of the Covid-19 variant should be in place by the middle of this month, the Taoiseach has said.
Micheál Martin said the Covid-19 variants that have emerged have changed the landscape “very significantly” and that the country was now “in a race” to get people vaccinated.
The Fianna Fail leader said the government would like to have hotel quarantining in place for people arriving from a country where there is a variant such as Brazil and South Africa and for those who arrive in the country without a negative PCR test by mid-February.
“We would hope to have it in place in a similar timeline [to the UK] and we’re working on that against a very serious issue in our Constitution in terms of personal liberties,” he told RTE’s Prime Time programme last night.
The Taoiseach denied the introduction of the measure was taking too long.
“I don’t think it is taking so long, actually,” he said.
“We announced it two weeks ago we thought we would move in this direction, we’ve brought in a raft of measures since that government decision from police checking at airports, to increasing fines from €100 to €500 if you’re in breach of level five on the way to the airport, to the home mandatory hormone quarantining, and a number of other measures as well.
“The mandatory quarantining in terms of the hotel facilities, is the next stage and work is already underway in relation to that.”
“We do accept that the variants have changed the landscape in relation to this virus, very significantly, and we are in a race, in respect of rolling out the vaccination program, the prolonged suppression of the virus itself, and reducing all potential for its spread,” he added.
Mandatory quarantine
The Taoiseach’s remarks come as new laws came into effect yesterday requiring people arriving in Ireland from abroad to quarantine at home.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly signed new regulations into law on Wednesday night giving effect to the Government’s recent decision to introduce a system of mandatory quarantine for arrivals into the State.
Under the regulations, passengers who arrive from any destination must quarantine for 14 days either at home or at an address specified on their Passenger Locator Form.
There are limited exemptions from the quarantine laws for essential reasons. These include workers for repair and maintenance of critical infrastructure.
But there will not be any exemptions for people arriving from high risk countries such as Brazil and South Africa.
“The clear Government and public health advice is that everybody should avoid non-essential travel completely,” Donnelly said.
He added that the public health advice is that people subjected to mandatory quarantine should self-isolate within their homes to assist in protecting those around them.
“Further work on additional legislation to implement mandatory quarantine at a designated facility for those arriving from countries with variants of concern, such as Brazil and South Africa is being progressed and will be implemented as soon as possible.”
The Health Minister will have the power to designate countries from which travel represents a public health risk due to the presence of variants of concern.
Donnelly also extended the mandatory requirement for all arriving passengers to have a negative PCR test.
Passengers who arrive in the state without proof of a negative PCR test may be fined €2,500 or receive six months in prison, or both.
There are very limited exemptions from this test requirement including for essential transport workers, gardaí and Defence Forces personnel in the course of their duties.
Anyone who arrives without a negative test will be required to take a test within 36 hours of arrival.
It is an offence not to take the test and can result in a fine of up to 2,500 euros or a prison sentence of up to six months, or both.
People who travel into Ireland via Northern Ireland will be required to have a negative PCR test result and to observe the statutory quarantine regime.
In the UK, ministers are facing similar claims of being too slow to act on the issue of mandatory quarantine.
The British government said it was working “at pace” to ensure designated quarantine hotels would be ready for British nationals returning from high-risk countries on the UK travel ban list from the middle of the month.
Officials said a commercial specification was issued on Thursday evening to hotels near air and sea ports asking for proposals on how they can support the delivery of quarantine facilities ahead of formal contracts being awarded.
The Daily Telegraph reported that officials were seeking to reserve 28,000 hotel rooms over the course of the scheme.
The paper said that it had seen documents showing that officials estimate 1,425 passengers will need to be accommodated each day, mostly near Heathrow.
For Labour, shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the British government was again doing “too little, too late”.
“It is beyond comprehension that these measures won’t even start until February 15,” he said.
Latest figures
Yesterday, a further 75 deaths and 1,318 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland.
It brought the number of total cases confirmed in Ireland since the first case on 29 February 2020 over the 200,000 mark. The death toll now stands at 3,586.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan referenced the new regulations that have been introduced surrounding mandatory “self-quarantine” during last night’s briefing.
“It places requirements on individuals to isolate themselves, to quarantine themselves at home and to be tested,” he said. “And there are a substantial set of penalties now on the statute books.”
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said that he saw commentary surrounding international travel, and spoke about how he “can’t begin to imagine how frustrated and frankly angry” people are at those who are breaking the rules.
“It’s very important to remember the extent to which the vast majority of people in this country are following the advice, and doing all they can to get us to a better place than where we’ve been over the past month,” he said.
While cases have fallen significantly from their peak in January, NPHET’s Professor Philip Nolan yesterday warned that the next few weeks will be “difficult for all of us”.
“As we bring the daily case levels below 1,000 per day, our progress will seem to slow down,” he said.
With reporting from Sean Murray
Don’t you just love how this and previous Government’s , pick and choose which things to side with the EU and which to ignore. Our Politicians really have become world class at being devious.
@DMurph: just
@DMurph: hmmm. So you are saying this government and previous ones have only accepted ones that beneficial to Ireland?
@Stephen Coveney: beneficial to themselves and their agenda. Pretty much the opposite of what’s beneficial to Ireland
@DMurph: and yet, when the government implements EU Directives in full, they are accused of being puppets and lap dogs. Can’t win.
Public Service Card?
@Pauliebhoy: no, thanks. Already have one.
Doesn’t the EU know who they are dealing with? This is the Irish Government. They don’t pay fines, they are not accountable when they do something wrong, everybody knows that. How dare the EU even suggesting such a thing!
“With no clarity as to which takes precedence here, Irish or EU law, you can expect the courts to be busy.”
EU law has supremacy over Irish law. The law Facebook and other companies have to prepare for is EU law. No uncertainty.
@Untriggered Non-Snowflake:
Third Amendment to the Constitution:
The State may become a member of the European Coal and Steel Community (established by Treaty signed at Paris on the 18th day of April, 1951), the European Economic Community (established by Treaty signed at Rome on the 25th day of March, 1957) and the European Atomic Energy Community (established by Treaty signed at Rome on the 25th day of March, 1957). No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the State necessitated by the obligations of membership of the Communities or prevents laws enacted, acts done or measures adopted by the Communities, or institutions thereof, from having the force of law in the State.
@Untriggered Non-Snowflake:
The Lisbon Treaty:
17. Declaration concerning primacy
The Conference recalls that, in accordance with well settled case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States, under the conditions laid down by the said case law.
So while I would not label this article “fake news” as that would require a deliberate attempt to misinform, I would say that this article is basically nonsense.
@Untriggered Non-Snowflake: when you see the phrase “under the conditions laid down” it means there are definitely exceptions, it’s always a good idea to check what they are.
@N:
Before we joined the European Community, there was a clear hierarchy of law in Ireland. Constitutional Law was supreme. Any Act passed by the Oireachtas which was repugnant to the Constitution would be overturned. For example, if the government had decided to pass a piece of legislation to say that Oireachtas legislation would supersede the Constitution, it would be overturned. The government can’t simply decide when the Constitution applies and when it doesn’t.
Amendment 3 to the Constitution explicitly states that once we joined the European Communities nothing in the provisions of the Constitution would inhibit laws passed by the Communities. In essence, the Constitution relinquishes supremacy to the Communities.
The only real issue in the case of Ireland is when EU Treaties undergo substantial revisions and changes. As the famous Crotty case found, this would be repugnant to the Constitution and would require a new referendum as it would mean a new transfer of powers from Ireland to the EU.
As J.Hederman said in that case “The State’s organs cannot contract to exercise in a particular procedure their policy-making roles or in any way to fetter powers bestowed unfettered by the Constitution. They are the guardians of these powers, not the disposers of them.” Basically, the people decide who to dispose power to.
@Dave O Keeffe:
I know what they are Dave.
An EU regulation is both directly applicable and has direct effect (both horizontal and vertical) in all Member States. Directly applicable simply means that an EU regulation becomes Member State law in its entirety. The Member State is actually required to do nothing by way of legislation for an EU regulation to become the nation’s law.
Direct effect(both horizontal and vertical) simply means that the rights and duties conferred by the law allow people to bring cases against State bodies(horizontal) or against other persons(vertical) to ensure their rights are upheld. Under our law, a company is recognised as a person under the law. So my point stands. Facebook and other companies must follow EU law in this case. No uncertainty.
The interesting thing is that the Journal article actually points out that EU regulations are mandatory. Then it goes on to argue it is unclear which law, Irish or EU, takes precedence in this case. It is clear to me the author does not really understand what an EU Regulation is or the basic.idea of EU law primacy in Ireland.
That is first year “Introduction to Law” stuff…
The author is right to say that Data Protection is an “marque” issue with countries such as Germany, Austria,and France. And this is why in the European Law Framework, it becomes a marque issue for all nations of the EU.
The reason it is important arises from World War 2 and the Holocaust. Lack of privacy and data protection was a primary reason to how the Nazi party in Germany could so easily find and round up Jewish people across Europe. Data Protection Law in Europe is framed in a way to ensure that something like this can never be done on that scale again. People should take Data Protection very seriously.
I’ve being saying for a while now that the PSC, the biometric national id card by the back door contravenes EU law and regulation on private and personal data protection. I’ve being warning that massive fines are there for breaches of those laws and regulations. Now it looks like those fines are to be doubled. Some here have rubbished me, but the truth is out now.
This is all about the PSC and the government’s intentions for it’s use. Not once has the government informed people what their rights are re the data that is and will be held on the cards and the data base it will use. The government try and pass this PSC off as the means to stop SW fraud. It’s purpose is far beyond that. It will place every Irish citizen under invasive and intrusive surveillance, control.
The GDPR will scupper the government’s intentions. So while it’s hastily trying to protect itself from the EU, it won’t protect it’s citizens.
For a long time now the government has played fast and loose with people’s data. Data protection is treated in a very cavalier manner by those who have access to it. Shared around willy nilly, even sold at times to private companies.
Your private and personal data belongs to you. You own it. The government can only collect it and use it for specific purposes. You are entitled to informed to what purpose it is wanted and used. It cannot be shared around any government depts, public bodies, without your express permission. It certainly cannot be shared with utilities, quangoes, banks, or other commercial interests.
You have never been informed as to what your rights are. Ever as yourself why.
@Dave Doyle: How did Irish Water, a semi private company, get my name and address to send me a bill? If that doesn’t worry you then nothing will
@Dave Doyle: Well the GDPR allows each member state to decide whether public bodies can be fined for GDPR and it seems that if the current draft of the Bill is enacted governmental bodies will escape fines.
@Sideshow Brendan: Irish Water collected much of that information from local authorities, who were previously responsible for water in Ireland.
So the collection and processing of names, addresses was lawful.
However the collection of PPSNs, which were originally being requested by Irish Water, was deemed to be excessive for the purpose of processing, and therefore Irish water stopped collecting that information.
@Thn: to give my details to a semi private company is legal? I never gave permission. Who asked me? This is a total theft of private data
@Sideshow Brendan: Permission is just one of the lawful grounds for the processing of personal data, so your permission is not required.
In order for Irish Water to operate it requires personal data on its customers.
@Sideshow Brendan: it was in the legislation. Passed by the Dail. Look it up.
Full disclosure and transparency is only a virtue when you have nothing to hide!
VRT
I said the PSC was going to be a GDPR headache on posts before…this just proves that point. What the Gov are claiming the card is for and what they intend to do with those cards are two different things and just like their refusal to enshrine Irish Water in law as a public entity the PSC is all about a scheme they are concocting for a quick euro. The cross department stuff alone will be GDPR fines as they are not meant to do that (but sure when you say central database the idea “cannot work”). Let’s not forget the number of times a suitcase was left on a train with patient details. The logic behind looking to be exempt isnt purely based on money…it is because the historical track record is a disaster already.
@Derek Power: Well the legality of the PSC is questionable under the current Data protection regime anyway.
Data controllers must have a legitimate basis to process personal data in order to make it lawful.
The stated purpose of the PSC initially was cut out fraud in Social Welfare. This in my view is legitimate and is arguably carried out on public service grounds.
However the runs afoul of the DP acts in a number of ways, including for example:-
- people aren’t given enough info. about why, how and where data is processed, including regarding security measures applied;
- while using this card where someone is in receipt of payments in arguably justified, requiring a person to have one to apply for a passport or in order to sit the driver theory test is unnecessary in my view.
@Thn: Exactly. Using it to combat fraud is fine…but why do we hear of an American company outside Ireland being involved in the info storing. Even if that is tinfoil hat stuff, making it “not mandatory, but compulsory” for things like sitting your driving test screams of a Gov intent on getting the system they want and forgetting that some people will work their entire life and never recieve welfare payments…thus making this card something a lot of the population would never even need. GDPR is now just showing that our shower of “leaders” will forever think in the local scale only and have now been caught out again by an educated electorate. The problem with modern technology…doesnt take weeks for info to get from one side of the island to the other now.
@Derek Power: storing the data outside of the EU is an non issue provided that the adequate safeguards have been put in place. Under the GDPR, the right to information requires data controllers (in this case the Gov.) to provide (amongst other things) details of these adequate safeguards and information on where a copy of such safeguards can be obtained. (Interesting guidance has been published on this point by article 29 working party).
Not to be seen as defending the way in which the PSC has been implemented, Regina Doherty herself has admitted that that phrase was stupid – her word!
Will that also effect journalism and breaking news stories and exclusives about corruption???
The GDPR explicitly allows some wriggle room for member states to decide how to impose fines. Personally I think the idea of the DPC (a state body) imposing a fine on another state body would be an exercise in pointlessness.
Simply a matter of moving public funds around between departments.
That said it’s vital that state bodies are held to task in a transparent, public manner for breaches of GDPR, which means regular and systematic oversight and audits by the DPC.
It must be remembered that even if state bodies can’t be fined by the state, data subjects will be able to bring direct actions against each data controller for damage caused as a result of a data breach.
Very good article. Disappointing that the Government is adopting this approach. Being led by ayatollah civil servants in cahoots with American multinationals??? General impression is that the Government is on the wrong side of history when it comes to digital.
Nothing to see here.Just a bunch of corrupt politicians trying to cover their arses at the public’s expense.Wait who voted them in?
The UK should have just exempted themselves from the common travel and freedom of movement part of the EU rules to avoid Brexit then.
This is worrying! Most private sector companies have put measures in place. The public sector needs to be guided on this! It’s happening in may!
@Roisin Walsh: Most private sector companies don’t have guidelines in place actually.
FFS, more fupping EU rules!!!
@Stephen Winterson:
Won’t be long before we lose our Ivory Coast flag also
@Ben Guy: The GDPR is simply updating a 1995 directive that has been in place in Ireland since 2003.
The GDPR requires companies who collect personal data to accord to a higher standard of data protection.
People are also being afforded new rights. This is actually a good think for every joe soap
@Thn:
Why are you telling me?
@Ben Guy: because I’m trying to declare my undying love for you.
Or else I just accidentally clicked reply to your comment instead of the one above. You decide baby
@Thn:
Anything could happen if you’re a good looker
@Ben Guy: meet me at the top of leeson street tonight at 10.
I’ll be the guy in fishnets and the I heart Ben guy t-shirt
Music,love and romance……..there may be trouble ahead…..kerching! I hear the geasy till.
Will not know anything until its law, then things will be noticed as usual?
What’s with the Russian/English keyboard under the padlock? Is this pertinent to the question?
@Ashley Brown: It’s a Latin/Cyrillic keyboard. Cyrillic is used in mainly Slavic speaking countries, not just Russia.
For once they have exercised a bit of foresight and have seen the flood of complaints and the sh*t storm incoming due to the introduction of the PSC and are clearly washing their hands of it in advance…. “we must fall in line with the EU”…….pure bollix!!!
No clear idea, from this article, what the government is doing. Waffle.
@Nick Caffrey: Because the government won’t come out and say where this GDPR will effect it most.
@Dave Doyle: GDPR is a confusing nightmare. Well intentioned but poorly drafted. There are amendments inserted by the European Parliament and nobody really knows the implications of the amendments. It’s a messy legalistic compromise.
As usual the Journal has posted a clickbait article. As of January 26 EU states including Ireland are not ready for GDPR. One would imagine from the article that is it only Ireland. And that’s because GDPR is immensely legalistic and complex. Most states especially small states are overwhelmed by the process.
But it is easier to damn the politicians and civil servants than admit that GDPR poses immense challenges for most States and companies not least because of its complexity and legal uncertainly.
A hypothetical, if it turns out the public services card does in fact breach data protection standards then a body could complain the Irish government to the EU for breaches under data protection legislation that itself failed to implement.
I salute anyone with the stones to file that lawsuit!!
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