John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Have the witnesses examined the role of carers in the home and how they are being supported in all of this? The section 39 organisations, which provide services for the mentally and physically challenged clients, were caught for cash and funding before this happened. Has funding been released to those organisations to ensure that they can expand the role that they have, and indeed, support what is now required because of Covid-19?

In terms of reopening the economy, have the witnesses looked at France and its red and blue counties and numbers, urban and rural, in terms of a response to either one?

It seems to be a plan worth looking at.

The private hospital deal of €115 million a month has been mentioned. Is it actually €115 million a month, or has it gone over that? If so, why? Are the consultants involved in the hospitals being compensated for the loss of their business plans, in terms of the rooms they rent, lease or have purchased and the staff they employ? Where have all those staff gone? Are they being compensated? Is there an overall plan for the use of private hospitals - a solid plan to which people can refer? As of last week there was not.

The loss of three months of normal service in these private hospitals is projected to cause 1,800 extra deaths from cancer this year. Is Mr. Breslin familiar with these figures? That amounts to 20 extra people a day dying from cancer. I would like clarification around all the services offered to them. How many patients in private hospitals had their appointments cancelled over the past week?

As regards the deal itself, would it not have been a better idea to have a contingency for capacity that would be made available should it be needed? There was only a handful of patients in some hospitals at the beginning of this particular with the Private Hospitals Association. Scopes have been cancelled in public hospitals, and there is now a backlog of more than 4,000. What is being done about that?