Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses, particularly Ms Murphy and all other front-line nurses. They have done an incredible job. At last Friday's committee meeting, I said that I thought a level of exasperation was quite evident over the course of the day. It has been evident at this committee for a while and is evident again here today. Anyone listening to the evidence and reading the submissions could not but be exasperated. We can all accept that there was a level of unpreparedness because no one knew what was around the corner. What I am concerned with now is what we have learnt and what we are implementing before the winter. I have some background in infection control. Ms Ní Sheaghdha said the HSE asked for masks to be worn on 22 April. I asked for them to be mandated in the Dáil on 4 April. There were things we could have been doing regarding PPE. It was also stated that hand sanitiser is only available through one supplier. However, most of the distilleries in the country have been providing alcohol hand sanitiser, so there should be absolutely no reason not to have hand sanitiser in the healthcare sector. I encourage the unions that are present to get in contact with HSE procurement and to talk about these issues. I have worked with a number of companies in Ireland that are having great difficulty in bringing PPE into the supply network because of government procurement. These things must be addressed. I have sat in hospital waiting areas and have looked at staff migrating through hospitals with their scrubs on, going down into community areas and back up to the wards. That must come to a stop, as must allowing public transit through all areas of a hospital. Infection control procedures must be put in place. They are the very first front-line policies, about which the witnesses must speak to the Minister very robustly.

I also previously mentioned temperature testing. Has the INMO any opinion on whether staff should be temperature tested before they start work in the morning, just as they are in other industries?