New Covid-19 jabs arriving next week will be "administered straight away", the Health Minister has said.
Stephen Donnelly confirmed that Ireland will receive close to 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in February - with the first batch of 21,600 set to arrive next week.
As per the Government's rollout plan, they will be given to frontline healthcare workers.
Speaking to RTE's News at One after strict new travel rules were brought in, he said that his Department was liaising with the Attorney General's office about legislation surrounding hotel quarantines.
He hopes this will be ready and debated in the Dail "very soon".
On Thursday, it was announced that those entering the country must stay at a named address for 14 days – and a failure to do so will see rule-breakers slapped with a €2,500 fine or six months in jail.
Everyone who arrives on our shores must do so with a negative PCR test, or face the same punishments for failure to quarantine.
There are very limited exceptions of this, which includes gardai and Defence Forces carrying out their duties.
Anyone who fails to arrive with a test is required to take one within 36 hours of arrival, with a refusal resulting in another hefty fine.
People who travel into the Republic via Northern Ireland will be to have a not-detected PCR test result and to observe the statutory quarantine regulations.
In a statement about the new rules, Mr Donnelly said: “The clear Government and public health advice is that everybody should avoid non-essential travel completely.
"I signed additional regulations that puts mandatory quarantine at home on a statutory footing. All travellers into the country must now adhere to staying at home and enforcement will be a matter for An Garda Síochána.
"Additionally, our public health advice is that people subjected to mandatory quarantine should self-isolate within their homes to assist in protecting those around them.
"Further work on additional legislation to implement mandatory quarantine at a designated facility for those arriving from countries with variants of concern, such as Brazil and South Africa is being progressed and will be implemented as soon as possible.”
