Mr. Paul Reid:

I will make a couple of comments and ask my colleague, Mr. Walsh, to add to them.

There was significant and wide engagement, not just in March but from January, in terms of guidance we would have been given and communications directly with private nursing homes and Nursing Homes Ireland. There was regular engagement throughout February and March. There were reasonably strong relationships between Nursing Homes Ireland, the HSE and the Department.

Not specifically on the facilities mentioned by the Deputy but generally on the actions taken, it would involve an outbreak management team. That is the first thing that triggers, once we have identified an outbreak in a long-term care setting or nursing home. That is largely led by our public health teams in the first instance. It involves public health specialist doctors advising on infection, disease, prevention and control. It also involves mobilising nationally some of our quality and patient safety crews. The Covid response multidisciplinary teams would go in, which may have some dedicated geriatricians, clinical nurse specialists or wider supports.