Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced last night that the country's mandatory hotel quarantine system would not accept any new bookings until Monday, because of fears the system is reaching capacity.

The system has also been criticised by several EU countries which are on Ireland's mandatory quarantine list. Embassies of these member states want the Department of Foreign Affairs to clarify how it is going to operate.

Professor Ruth O'Regan is Chair of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester, New York.

She has booked a trip home to Ireland to visit her mother in May, but might be forced to cancel as she cannot get an extra two weeks' holidays to quarantine in the Crowne Plaza.

She was joined on The Last Word by Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher and Shona Murray from Euronews.