Dr. Siobhán Kennelly:

As we speak, guidance around all of that is being revisited to give clarity. As somebody who has been working in the sector for a number of years, I am well aware of how people are trying to balance those risks. We are trying to issue guidance on what care can be delivered, when, and by whom in as responsive a way as possible. It is important to reiterate that.

On those short-term visits the Deputy is talking about, the feeling is that anything that can be done in a short period does not require isolation afterwards. Again, it is important that people understand the role that asymptomatic transmission and the potential for asymptomatic transmission play in this. Clearly, people who need overnight or more prolonged stays will require isolation on transfer back. That will all be addressed. It is important to note everything that is happening is being monitored on a close basis by our colleagues. Massive issues have been highlighted by the Deputy's colleagues with regard to the discussion around governance and resilience, and how they are going to be managed out in terms of the ongoing risk of transmission and ongoing risk to nursing homes. As a clinician, I am alive to it, as are most people here, and unless there is a systemic address of some of the issues that have been highlighted throughout the discussion they will continue to pose a challenge.