Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Sasko Lazarov

AGSI boss surprised to hear about Garda role in hotel quarantine - as Cabinet yet to sign off on Bill

The Cabinet is yet to sign off on mandatory hotel quarantine for some travellers arriving in Ireland.

PRESIDENT OF the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has said the first she heard about the role gardaí will play in enforcing mandatory quarantine for passengers arriving into Ireland was when the minister appeared on television last night. 

The AGSI states that it still hasn’t received operational guidance on the new proposed legislation.

Speaking on Virgin Media’s Tonight Show, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said “they will be checking up on these facilities, but they won’t be manning them”. 

The Cabinet is yet to sign off on mandatory hotel quarantine for some travellers arriving in Ireland.

The Bill is understood not to have been fully ready for Cabinet yesterday, and there was some “fine tuning” needed to the legislation. 

It was expected the new laws would be signed off on this morning, but it is now expected to be this afternoon. 

The legislation sets out that those arriving in from a list of 20 category 2 countries will have to mandatory quarantine at designated hotels for up to 14 days.

Those arriving into Ireland without a negative PCR test will also have to do so. 

It is understood that private security staff will manage the hotel system, with the defence forces also playing a role. 

Speaking on TV last night, the minister said gardaí are already working at the airport, and checking that people are compliant with Covid-19 regulations.

However, the minister confirmed gardaí will not be manning the hotels.

She said where there is a public order incident or where someone tries to leave the facility, it will only be then that the person will have committed a crime.

“If someone were to leave it would be a criminal offence,” she said.

It would only be then that the gardaí would be able to “arrest and bring charges and bring them back to facility”, she said. 

“If there is a public order incident they will be there. They will be checking up on these facilities but they wont be manning them,” she said.

Reacting to the minister, AGSI boss Antoinette Cunningham tweeted her surprise, stating that the AGSI will await the details, indicating that there has been no consultation with her members on the matter. 

The final costs of the programme have yet to be finalised by officials, but it is expected the cost for the 14-day stay could be around €2,000.

Legislation is expected to be brought before the Dail and the Seanad next week, but the law is not expected to be in place for another two to three weeks.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
13 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard Casserly
    Favourite Gerard Casserly
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 10:07 AM

    App alling.

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pauliebhoy
    Favourite Pauliebhoy
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 12:17 PM

    iAgree

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute karl kenny
    Favourite karl kenny
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 12:21 PM

    App-ropriate puns

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Everyman
    Favourite John Everyman
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 11:14 AM

    The term “android pirates” conjured a wonderful image in my mind.

    Pity the story is far less entertaining.

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Leopold Dedalus
    Favourite Leopold Dedalus
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 10:39 AM

    Not much difference between selling counterfeit apps and the rampant copyright infringement of authentic apps. All the Flappy Bird imitations, Temple Run clones (don’t know if TR was the original for that style of game) and games like Candy Crush are basically doing the same thing by ripping off someone else’s concept. Copyright law is just a bit greyer than piracy law so they get away with it for the most part

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Justin Gillespie
    Favourite Justin Gillespie
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 11:06 AM

    Stick with Apple folks

    None of these shenanigans with the Cupertino people.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Kelly
    Favourite John Kelly
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 11:28 AM

    There are alternative places to get apps for jailbroken devices as well.

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Vince O'Shea
    Favourite Vince O'Shea
    Report
    Mar 25th 2014, 12:38 PM

    oh the irony of it all when in fact the apps themselves have plagiarised other apps. they deserve to lose.

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds