Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a number of questions. Only a couple of days ago, one of the national newspapers highlighted commentary from the IMO - I know a meeting was held with the IMO yesterday - which indicated some GPs had still not received the safety suit and goggles. Will the Minister indicate he is 100% certain all GP practices, out-of-hours services and the presentation areas within our hospital sites have not only received the protective equipment but have actually had instruction on its use? In the first instance, I would think how the protective equipment is put on is hugely important but, in the context of a case presenting, its removal would be of great importance also. Will the Minister elaborate on this?

I note that the medical director and head of the emergency department in St. James's Hospital has confirmed that it has carried out several practice runs to prepare for a potential Ebola patient presenting. Is that practice in train across all of the sites where it should take place?

Other than the situation in regard to doctors in GP settings and hospital settings, what about nursing staff and other staff, including GP and hospital reception staff? Are we ensuring all those who could be - I emphasise "could be" - exposed to a case presenting are being properly advised and given the essential training as to how to deal with it? Will the Minister elaborate on the capacity of the Mater hospital isolation unit, its current utilisation, if any, and its preparedness?

In the course of my recent priority question to the Minister, where this matter was first addressed in an exchange between us in the Dáil Chamber a number of weeks back, I asked him about advances in terms of treatment and I queried the whole situation in regard to ZMapp. Does the Minister have an update on developments on treatment for Ebola? What is his Department's most up-to-date information in regard to the speculated medical response to cases presenting?

The IMO issued a statement following yesterday's meeting in which it highlighted a number outstanding concerns. It is questioning the wisdom of advising patients displaying Ebola symptoms to visit GP surgeries. It does not believe that is an appropriate setting. There is also the issue of robust protocols in terms of emergency department settings in our hospital sites. Again, these are very legitimate concerns which members and the wider public have.

I mention the imperative of training sufficient numbers of hospital staff, which goes to the wider aspect of this, to which I referred, the shortage of public health doctors in general, and the critical need for agreed arrangements to deal with circumstances where medical staff must deal with a patient displaying symptoms of Ebola.

I have a specific question which I am not at liberty to pose in a public engagement with the Minister, but I would like to ask about any concerns in regard to people arriving on our shores, or coming back here, having visited any of the countries where cases have presented.

The advice is simple and understandable but there are real concerns within cohorts around any such given presentation. Does the Minister consider that is enough? Does he really believe that self monitoring is sufficient in that instance?