The Taoiseach said that under plans for mandatory home quarantine, it will not be legally possible to ensure people self-isolate in their rooms but that that is the public health advice.
It comes as new regulations have come into force that empower gardaí to call to the homes of people who have arrived from international travel and ensure that they are abiding by mandatory quarantine rules.
Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time, Micheál Martin also said that he did not believe it was taking a long time to establish mandatory hotel quarantine, and that the Government hopes to have it in place in a similar timeline to the UK who hope to have it in place by mid-February.
Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD speaks to @franmcnulty about the confusion around whether people with Covid-19 symptoms need to self-isolate from family and housemates within the home#rtept pic.twitter.com/qHobWlFc2B
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) February 4, 2021
Passengers who arrive from any destination must quarantine for 14 days at the address specified on their Passenger Locator Form.
The penalties for non-compliance are a fine of up to €2,500 or six months in prison, or both.
"The clear Government and public health advice is that everybody should avoid non-essential travel completely," Minister Stephen Donnelly said.
The regulations allow for limited exemptions from quarantine for essential reasons where strictly necessary. Those exempted are expected to follow quarantine at all other times.
Exemptions include workers for repair and maintenance of critical infrastructure.
"Our public health advice is that people subjected to mandatory quarantine should self-isolate within their homes to assist in protecting those around them," Mr Donnelly said.
"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," he added.
As Minister for Health, Mr Donnelly will also have the power to designate countries from which travel represents a public health risk due to the presence of variants of concern and which will have additional travel restrictions on arrivals.
There are no exemptions to break quarantine for arrivals from these "category 2" states, except for emergency reasons such as unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive medical reasons.
Gen Sec of Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors says her members still awaiting guidance on Govt quarantine plan. @rtenews https://t.co/oIk7aHEK3H
— Paul Cunningham (@RTENewsPaulC) February 4, 2021
Brazil and South Africa are currently listed as category 2 states and travellers from these areas must observe the full period of isolation.
These regulations also extend the mandatory requirement for all arriving passenger to have a negative PCR test.
It is an offence not to have evidence of this test with a penalty of a fine of up to €2,500 or a prison sentence of six months, or both.
There are exemptions from this test requirement, including for essential transport workers, gardaí and Defence Forces personnel in the course of their duties.
Anyone who does arrive without a RT-PCR, is required to take a test within 36 hours of arrival.
It is an offence not to take the test and can result in a fine of up to €2,500 or a prison sentence of up to six months, or both.
Persons who travel from another state and into the country via Northern Ireland will be required to have a not-detected PCR test result and to observe the statutory quarantine regime.
Opposition parties have strongly criticised the Government's mandatory quarantine at home plan.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government was at "sixes and sevens" on quarantine, while the Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall said the plan simply would not work.
