David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will move to Dr. De Gascun. With regard to the control measures, obviously, to keep that below 1 involves many different things. The witnesses are both right in saying that testing, tracing and isolating is one part of the component. We also have to make sure that we have capacity in our hospitals. Dr. De Gascun knows that the contract with the private hospitals will come to an end and we are being told by the Minister for Health that, because of infection control, we may see fewer beds in the system. Again, what modelling is being done in terms of the potential capacity that might be needed in our hospitals? Second, in regard to those control measures, there seems to be mixed opinion and even mixed signals in regard to the wearing of masks and the 1 m versus 2 m distance. From the perspective of Dr. De Gascun’s advisory group, what advice is being given to the Government? I want to ask a very direct question. We have a plan to open the economy and everybody wants to see it happen as quickly as possible. Is Dr. De Gascun satisfied that we have a plan to manage the virus that will co-exist with the now accelerated plan to reopen the economy?