A number of people who absconded from mandatory hotel quarantine left the country immediately.
Figures from the Department of Health show 75 people have left their accomodation without authorisation since March.
24 returned to the hotel 'voluntarily' following Garda intervention.
Co- Leader of the Social Democrats, Catherine Murphy, says it defeats the purpose if people are simply leaving
"I think most people will be surprised by this, because the way the system was designed, it was that people were brought from the airport to the hotel."
"Then there'd be security in the hotel."
"The idea that a dozen people in the last week, for example, have left without any authorisation."
"It's defeating the purpose."
She says the idea of the system was to permit people coming from high risk countries to travel here, "without putting the public at risk."
Figures From The Dept Of Health
- As of the 24th of June 6,825 people have entered MHQ since it began on the 26th of March.
- The vast majority of these people (99%) have complied with it.
- Over the first 3 months there have been 75 absconders.
- That represents 1% of the total.
- 24 of these people voluntarily returned to MHQ soon after leaving, after Garda intervention
- Gardaí are notified of all unauthorised departures from MHQ and are actively following up on all the remaining cases.
