Gardaí to enforce two-week quarantine for passengers

Check in: Officers may call to addresses to ensure rules are kept

GARDAÍ will be given the power to check up on passengers arriving in Ireland from overseas under new Covid-19 restrictions being considered by the Government.

Gardaí may call to the addresses of passengers to ensure they are adhering to self-isolation for two weeks after arrival in this country.

Strict new regulations are being drafted to make it a legal requirement for anyone arriving in Ireland to self-isolate and give the authorities details of where they will be staying.

Currently everyone arriving in Ireland is being asked to voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks.

But after figures showed a third of those arriving in Dublin Airport were not signing passenger location forms, the Government ramped up plans to make it mandatory to declare where visitors are staying when they arrive.

The move comes after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that Irish and French people arriving in England would be exempt from UK rules requiring passengers to quarantine for two weeks.

The announcement caught the Government here by surprise, but senior figures insisted a similar exemption will not be reciprocated for those arriving from England.

There are also serious concerns in Government at the speed with which Mr Johnson is easing restrictions, despite more than 31,000 deaths from the virus in the UK.

Using emergency legislation to allow gardaí to police the new rules for people travelling to Ireland is a key proposal in the plans being discussed by senior ministers.

The regulations are being drafted across several departments, but are being led by Tánaiste Simon Coveney and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

It comes after it emerged last week that a third of people arriving in Ireland over a sixday period refused to hand over details of where they were staying to allow authorities confirm they were selfisolating.

The Irish Independent also revealed figures which showed hundreds of people who flew in to Dublin Airport during that time did not fill in forms detailing where they would be staying.

In total, 1,950 people – mainly Irish – flew in to Dublin Airport during that period, and 1,279 have signed forms detailing where they will be staying and how they can be contacted.

Those involved in drafting the new rules for passengers say the focus of the debate is ensuring they are properly enforced.

There is some discussion over whether gardaí or the Border Management Unit (BMU), which is under the aegis of the Department of Justice, should be tasked with policing the new rules.

There is a push from some ministers to ensure gardaí are given the power to enforce the new self-isolation regulations.

At present, passengers are asked by the BMU in Dublin Airport to give details of where they will be staying for the two weeks after they arrive.

The BMU follows up with phone calls to a select number of individuals to ensure they are self-isolating at the address they have given.

However, once the rules become mandatory, stricter enforcement will be possible.

Sources involved in the negotiations say gardaí should be given the powers to ensure passengers are staying at the addresses provided.

This would include calling to a person’s home to ensure they are not breaching the regulations.

“We are not intending that everyone gets a call, but if there’s suspicion or a concern there should be the power there to ensure people are staying in the address they have listed in the passenger location form,” a source said.

The proposals for the new regulations are due before Cabinet in the next two weeks.

The Department of Health, Department of Justice and Department of Transport are also involved in drafting the new rules with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the easing of travel restrictions continues to cause disquiet.

Wales’ first minister yesterday warned people living in England against travelling to Wales for exercise.

Mark Drakeford said “in Wales it is Welsh law that applies” following concerns that traffic from England could increase after Prime Minister Boris Johnson relaxed travel restrictions there.

Mr Drakeford said police had reported a “distinct increase in activity” in Wales over the weekend, including alcohol-related violence and increased traffic, following reports the lockdown in England might be eased.

“Travelling to Wales to exercise is not to exercise locally. We will use whatever means are available to convey this message.”