Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

I have been in direct contact with the Prison Service. I said at the last presentation to this committee it is to be commended in respect of that fact the prison population was protected to such a degree. That is not an accident. That is a policy where temperatures are taken and where all the precautions prior to attending work are to ensure one is not in any way symptomatic.

In the health service, by contrast, the big issue we had was with the derogation of staff who were asymptomatic but had been notified as close contacts. A person could get a phone call to say he or she is a close contact and should self-isolate for 14 days. That person could then get a call to say we are very short-staffed and he or she must come in. If the person is asked if he or she has a temperature and says "No" they are asked to come back to work. That flies in the face of the public health advice. We have sought the removal of that policy. That policy is still there and no healthcare worker should be derogated by a manager to return to work because they are short-staffed even though they have been a close contact and have not had a test. It is simply wrong.