THERE HAVE BEEN 110 recorded breaches of the PCR test rule at Dublin Airport since regulations were brought in on 16 January. 

Figures released by the Department of Justice & Equality show there have been approximately 140 recorded breaches of the travel regulations in total at all ports and airports in Ireland between 16 January and last Sunday. 

All passengers arriving into Ireland by air or ferry are required to produce evidence of a negative/not detected PCR test taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival, under rules brought in to help curb the spread of Covid-19. 

The department said the breaches were a mixture of people failing to provide a test result and others providing a test result from beyond the 72-hour limit. 

Between Saturday 16 January and Sunday 24 there were a total of 19,320 arrivals at Dublin Airport.

A spokesperson for the Department said An Garda Síochána will prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions over the 110 recorded breaches at Dublin Airport. 

The government announced yesterday that all visa-free short term travel from South Africa and all of South America is suspended until at least 5 March with the Taoiseach saying this can be put in place immediately.

Anyone who arrives from Brazil or South Africa will also be subject to a mandatory quarantine at a designated facility.

Passengers arriving from all other countries without a pre-departure negative PCR test will also have to quarantine at one of these facilities under these new rules. They will also be subject to a €2,500 fine or six months imprisonment.

Once a PCR test result is provided upon arrival, passengers will now be required by law to quarantine at home. They can free themselves from this quarantine after five days with a negative PCR test result here in Ireland.

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If any countries in the European ‘traffic light’ system move to green or amber (due to a reduction in their incidence), they will not need to quarantine at all once they have a negative pre-departure test, the government said. 

These regulations will apply to anyone who travels into the Republic from any port or airport on the island, including those in the North. Gardaí will be able to turn people back at the border if they are in breach of the regulations.

The Taoiseach said detailed legislation will be needed to implement some of these measures and work will get underway on this immediately. He said much of the regulatory framework will be ready by the end of this week.