Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2021
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Number 12 of 2021 | ||
HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE (COVID-19) (AMENDMENT) ACT 2021 | ||
CONTENTS | ||
Section | ||
2. Amendment of section 1 of Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 | ||
3. Amendment of section 17 of Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020 | ||
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Acts Referred to | ||
Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020 (No. 14) | ||
Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 (No. 2) | ||
Health (Amendment) Act 2020 (No. 19) | ||
Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1) | ||
Health Act 1947 (No. 28) | ||
Mental Health Act 2001 (No. 25) | ||
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Number 12 of 2021 | ||
HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE (COVID-19) (AMENDMENT) ACT 2021 | ||
An Act to provide for the continuation in operation for a further period, which may be extended in certain circumstances, of certain provisions of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 , the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 , the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020 and the Health (Amendment) Act 2020 , in the public interest and having regard to the continuing manifest and grave risk to human life and public health posed by the spread of the disease known as Covid-19 (and variants of the virus that causes that disease) in order to mitigate, where practicable, the effects of the spread of that disease; and to provide for related matters. | ||
[6th June, 2021] | ||
WHEREAS a public health emergency has arisen and continues in the State by virtue of the spread of the disease known as Covid-19; | ||
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AND WHEREAS the State, having regard to the need to preserve and protect public health, has introduced a range of extraordinary measures and safeguards to prevent, minimise, limit or reduce the risk of persons being infected with that disease; | ||
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AND WHEREAS the continuation in operation of such measures and safeguards forms part, along with the programme of vaccination against that disease, of efforts on the part of the State to preserve and protect public health; | ||
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AND WHEREAS a resolution approving the continuation in operation of the amendments to the Health Act 1947 effected by Part 3 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 until the 9th day of June 2021 was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas on the 22nd day of October 2020 in accordance with section 2(3) of that Act; | ||
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AND WHEREAS a resolution approving the continuation in operation of the amendments to and other modifications of the Mental Health Act 2001 effected by Part 5 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 until the 9th day of June 2021 was passed by each House of the Oireachtas on the 22nd day of | ||
October 2020 in accordance with section 1(3) of that Act; | ||
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AND WHEREAS a resolution approving the continuation in operation of the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020 until the 9th day of June 2021 was passed by Dáil Éireann on the 4th day of November 2020 and by Seanad Éireann on the 6th day of November 2020 in accordance with section 17(3) of that Act; | ||
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AND WHEREAS the Health (Amendment) Act 2020 remains in operation until the 9th day of June 2021 by virtue of section 6(3) of that Act; | ||
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AND WHEREAS certain measures and prohibitions put in place since the outbreak of that disease relating to the conduct and behaviour of members of society that were aimed at preventing and slowing the spread of the disease, reducing the incidence of the disease and limiting its impact on the functioning of society and the economy, have not sufficiently reduced the incidence of the disease; | ||
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AND WHEREAS the trajectory of that disease continues to be precarious and uncertain and to threaten to put the health system in the State under significant and sustained pressure by reason of the spread of that disease (and variants of the virus that causes the disease in relation to which there is evidence of increased transmissibility and the potential to evade immune response); | ||
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AND WHEREAS the crisis occasioned by the further or worsening spread of that disease is causing, and will continue to cause, significant damage to the economy of the State resulting, thus far, in a substantial increase in the number of persons who have become unemployed and a substantial increase in the national debt; | ||
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AND WHEREAS the State remains, in significant respects, highly exposed to the effects of the spread of the disease; | ||
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AND WHEREAS as a consequence it is necessary for the State, for compelling reasons of public interest and for the common good, to continue for a further period the measures taken and the safeguards put in place to address the emergency and to defend and vindicate the rights of citizens to life and to bodily integrity: | ||
Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows: |
