Around half the people arriving into the country by aeroplane at the end of last month were doing so for what are deemed to be non-essential reasons, figures released by the Department of Health show.

The statistics, provided to Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall in response to a parliamentary question, show that at the end of January some 49 per cent of arrivals did not declare an essential reason for travelling.

While that proportion decreased during January, Ms Shortall said it still represented thousands of people coming into the State for non-essential reasons amid the pandemic before a mandatory hotel quarantine system has been established.

Hospital Report

Reasons for essential travel, according to Citizens Information, include caring for children or vulnerable people, attending a court hearing or funeral, to do work deemed “critical to the functioning of a business”, attending college or school and for medical/dental appointments or emergency healthcare.

Cliff Taylor: What will your office look like when you go back?

---

Paul Costelloe takes a Covid hammering at Dunnes Stores

---

Pfizer vaccine no longer needs to be stored at ultra-low temperatures – data

---

All carers now eligible for Covid-19 vaccine in Northern Ireland

---

The 49 per cent figure relates to the week commencing January 25th, when 14,784 people travelled through Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports, suggesting that some 7,000 people came into the State for non-essential purposes.

By contrast, around 36 per cent, some 12,000 of 33,000 arriving, declared an essential reason for travel when filling in their passenger locator forms in the week commencing January 4th, with the proportion growing as the month progressed.

As the number of people landing in Ireland dropped over the course of the month, the percentage of those travelling for essential reasons grew, suggesting that the numbers travelling for non-essential reasons is falling as the State seeks to restrict arrivals due to the threat of Covid-19 variants.

Ms Shortall said that “the majority of people in Ireland have sacrificed a huge amount to keep themselves and others safe during this pandemic, yet a small minority continues to flout the rules on travel”.

The figures “underline how vital it is to implement mandatory hotel quarantine as soon as possible” so the wider public can return to having “a sense of normality” in their lives, she said.

The Government this week signed off on new legislation to give effect to the new regime for mandatory hotel quarantine. Once passed, the law will see people who leave the hotel potentially facing a fine of up to €4,000 or a month in prison. The Bill also creates offences for refusing to take a Covid-19 test, or endangering the life or welfare of another person in the quarantine facilities.

However, it seems that it will be next month at the earliest before the measures are in place. Much remains to be established about how it will work in practice, and deals still have to be agreed with hotels and transport providers, as well as private security operators who will police the designated centres.