Two women who resisted the mandatory hotel quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic have lost their Supreme Court appeal.

The case centers around Niamh Mulreany, 27, and Kirstie McGrath, who traveled to Dubai in March 2021.

Upon their return, they refused to comply with quarantine regulations, resulting in criminal charges.

Despite initially arguing that their trip was for medical reasons, the truth soon emerged that no surgery took place.

The Legal Battle and Appeal

The women were arrested upon returning to Ireland on Good Friday, April 2, 2021, after their refusal to quarantine at a designated hotel.

Both claimed they couldn’t afford the €1,800 cost and needed to care for their children.

After spending a night in prison, they were released on bail but later completed their mandatory quarantine.

However, the charges still stand, and the women sought to halt their trials by filing legal challenges.

They argued that the procedure used to designate the UAE as a high-risk country was flawed.

Specifically, they contended that it should have been implemented through legislation, not a ministerial directive, and that it should have been subject to oversight by the Oireachtas.

The High Court dismissed their efforts to block the trial, and the case made its way to the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Ruling

Supreme Court judge Aileen Donnelly, in a unanimous decision, ruled that the UAE’s designation as a high-risk state was lawful.

The court rejected the women’s arguments regarding the minister’s power to impose the quarantine measures.

The State defended the minister’s authority, stating that there was nothing unconstitutional about the decision-making process.

Should they be convicted, Mulreany and McGrath face fines of up to €2,000 and the possibility of several months in prison.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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