Ms Oonagh Buckley:

The Deputy's first question was around the training requirements for infection control. We have done quite a degree of training, supported by the HSE. In fact, a very useful webinar was done, which all centre managers were strongly encouraged to watch and participate in.

As we said to the committee, there is a telephone line, which we are paying for and is provided by a group called Safetynet, which both takes their queries around safety issues and health issues and proactively works with the centres to try to improve their safety. In addition the HSE sent an infection control nurse into the specific centre in Cahersiveen. The nurse went through a very detailed checklist of what could be done in terms of managing infection control, particularly in the context of an outbreak. That checklist, which was extremely helpful, was then promulgated to other centres as necessary to help them with infection control. It is worth bearing in mind that the people who run our centres are, in the main, hotel or accommodation managers, and they have never had to do this before. We are having to learn what they need to know and are providing it to them as best we can, over time.

With regard to translations and comments, we translate a lot for the residents as well so they know about the basic things, about cough etiquette and so on. These are the things that we have started to learn and practice by rote, although I noticed I coughed into my hand earlier which I probably should not have done.

Mr. Kirrane may wish to come in on the issue of processing.