By Michelle McGlynn
From today, passengers arriving into Ireland from overseas will be required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form.
Under new regulations, signed by the Minister for Health, failure to complete the form will be an offence.
The form requires passengers to provide an address for where they will be staying in Ireland and personal contact details.
Failure to complete the form and give it to the relevant person is punishable by a fine of up to €2,500 or a jail term of up to six months, or both.
The information provided on the forms may be used to follow-up on passengers to ensure people who have travelled to Ireland are staying where they had said they would.
Forms can also be used for contact tracing purposes should there be a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 on a flight or ferry coming into Ireland.
People travelling from Northern Ireland, working in defined essential supply chain roles, foreign diplomats and passengers who are transiting through the State without leaving the port or airport will not be required to fill out the form.
Passengers arriving into Ireland and immediately travelling onwards to the North will have to fill out a portion of the form.
Minister for Health, Simon Harris, said that the Passenger Locator Form is a temporary measure that has been introduced in a time of a public health crisis.
"The people of Ireland have managed to suppress COVID-19 in our communities, and through their actions are enabling the resumption of social and economic life," said Minister Harris.
The Government is concerned that as we move towards the easing of measures, the risk of importing new cases through non-essential travel increases.
"The introduction of these rules is aimed to limit this risk."
Mr Harris reminded people that the Government is still advising Irish citizens and residents against all non-essential international travel.
Government guidelines asking those who arrive in Ireland to self-isolate for a period of 14 days remain in place.
The following offences are punishable by a fine not exceeding €2,500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both:
- Failure to complete and give the form to a relevant person.
- Providing information that to the person’s knowledge is false or misleading (whether on the form, when presenting the form, or in subsequent follow-up checks).
- Failure to provide further information to a relevant person upon request (who suspects that the form has not been completed properly).
- Failure to update residence or contact details if they change within 14 days of arrival into the State.
