Sir, – Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has brought forward proposals to add more European countries to the mandatory quarantine list.
The Attorney General is now expressing concern about the possible curtailment of the right of EU citizens to travel between countries ("Attorney General warns Government over plans to add 43 countries to high-risk list ", News, March 31st).
For much of the last year, my right to travel freely within my own country has been curtailed in an effort to suppress a dangerous killing virus.
Where was the Attorney General’s concern about the suppression of my right to travel or my human rights then?
One of the reasons the pandemic continues within Europe is because of rigid adherence to laws which are at odds with the measures required to suppress the virus and allow us all to get back to relative normality as quickly as possible.
If, because of rising numbers of Covid cases in other European countries, it would be prudent to stop travel, or at least mandatorily quarantine travellers coming from those countries to prevent influx of fresh infection and new variants into Ireland, then that is what needs to be done.
Irish residents have endured a lot in the last year to keep numbers down. We are now on a good path to getting back to normality.
Are we going to let petty politics get in the way of practical measures?
The Attorney General should note that these measures already apply to an EU country, Austria. What is so different about other EU countries that this proposal is now a problem? – Yours, etc,
DAVID DORAN,
Bagenalstown,
Co Carlow.
Sir, – My hitherto fruitless search for the traditional April Fool's story was not in vain. "Hotel quarantine should not apply to countries where many Irish live, Coveney says" (News, April 1st).
The joke is on us. – Yours, etc,
C MURRAY,
Dublin 14.