Two women who failed to halt their prosecution for refusing to enter hotel quarantine after returning from Dubai during the Covid-19 pandemic are to face trial in April.
Kirstie McGrath (33), of St Anthony’s Road, Dublin 8, and Niamh Mulreany (28), from Scarlett Row, Essex Street West, Dublin 2, were arrested on April 2nd, 2021 at Dublin Airport.
The friends had travelled to Dubai where they claimed they intended to undergo cosmetic surgery but ultimately did not.
However, on their return to Ireland they were charged with breaching section 38 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2021, which can result in fines of up to €2,000 and a month in jail.
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The law had been temporarily in force at the time with the aim of halting the spread of Covid-19.
A bail hearing on April 3rd, 2021 heard they had travelled abroad to have breast enhancement surgery.
In an attempt to stop the criminal proceedings, the women’s lawyers brought a legal challenge over the constitutionality of the legislation surrounding the mandatory hotel quarantine system.
The matter went all the way to the Supreme Court, which dismissed their action in September. The criminal proceedings resumed at Dublin District Court last month, with solicitor Michael French informing the judge his clients were pleading not guilty.
A hearing was scheduled to take place on Monday at Dublin District Court but the matter was slotted into a lengthy list of cases waiting to be allocated trial dates.
Mr French said his clients required a hearing of the case and asked the judge to order the disclosure of prosecution evidence which had previously been requested.
Judge John Hughes ordered that the material be handed over and said the hearing would take place on April 15th.
Their first court appearance almost four years ago heard that gardaí allegedly spent two hours trying to explain the pandemic regulations to the women, who claimed they did not know about them.
The defence said the two women had provided three negative PCR tests for Covid-19 taken in the week before their return.
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