McEntee: Gardaí will enforce mandatory quarantine of passengers arriving into Ireland

But justice minister said there 'will not be thousands of gardaí' going door to door 

Passengers who arrive from any destination must quarantine for 14 days at the address specified on their passenger locator form, with penalties for non-compliance. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Gardaí will enforce the mandatory quarantine of those who arrive into Ireland, but the justice minister says that there "will not be thousands of gardaí" going door to door.

Helen McEntee told Newstalk that the new regulations, signed off on Thursday, will be handled through Garda spotchecks.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly signed regulations that will introduce a system of mandatory quarantine for arrivals into the State.

Under these regulations, passengers who arrive from any destination must quarantine for 14 days at the address specified on their passenger locator form, with penalties for non-compliance.

These penalties are a fine of up to €2,500 or six months in prison, or both.

Ms McEntee said that a wholesale mandatory quarantine was not possible "without a legal basis" and needed new legislation. 

"In the meantime, we have these other measures — PCR testing, quarantine at home, enhanced fines," she said.

She could not give a timeline for how long these regulations will be in place.

New legislation may be needed throughout the summer to allow additions to the mandatory hotel quarantine system if the health minister identifies a new Covid hotspot, she added.

It's just too early to tell. We all want a holiday, we'd all love to get on a plane and go somewhere sunny but it is too early to say.

Ms McEntee disagreed that the 14-day quarantine system for those who come to Ireland from South Africa and Brazil was weak. 

She said that those who do go on holiday can be fined up to €1,000 — €500 each way — but said that this "isn't about racking up fines" and said that she hoped that public would adhere to the public health advice not to travel.

The minister, who had Covid-19 over Christmas, said that she was recovered now but urged anyone who may have symptoms to get tested immediately.