Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates and I thank them for explaining the seriousness of the situation in a meaningful and forceful way. What is the most effective way of containing, slowing down and addressing the outbreak in the areas affected? Are initiatives such as restrictions on travel and interaction and the imposition of curfews helpful and effective? Can the virus recur among those who have been treated? Can a person be a carrier of the virus without being affected by it?

What is the best way for us to do that? How can we be most effective? What can we do that will have the most direct and immediate impact on the areas directly affected?

We were in Freetown and Sierra Leone in recent years and are familiar with the territory. It is quite difficult. What circumstances favour the spread of the infection? What are the easiest circumstances to address? I refer to travel, hygiene, water and contact. We know about the issues regarding contact. What can we do that will be most effective within the shortest possible time?