Mr. Greg Ennis:

Testing is a very important issue and SIPTU welcomed the Government's announcement that testing would take place for four weeks. Deputy Nolan asked for how long testing should continue. It will have to continue for as long as it is needed. We could, rightly, blanket test workers in the HSE, nursing homes and residential care. For five months, we have been raising the fact that there are perfect vectors in meat plants for the transmission of Covid-19. To answer the Deputy's question directly, we need testing every week on a repeated basis until we get on top of this virus. This is what we need. More important, we need the results the following day as happens in the UK currently. One could test 600 or 700 meat plant workers in one evening in the UK and get the result the following day. This is what we need. It is the only chance we have of keeping our workers safe, keeping the communities in Deputy Nolan's constituency safe, which is very important, and maintaining the continuity of meat production.

Deputy Nolan also asked about complaints. As a union official, I have dealt with many high-level disputes over the past 23 years in different sectors, including transport. I do not believe I have ever seen the volume of calls or complaints, call them what one will, that our officials on the ground have received from members since late April and early May. I cannot say they go back to March.

It is about our members and their families. The Deputy referred to there being over 800 Covid cases in meat factories. I mentioned the 1,115 cases by early July and now there are 1,450 and that figure is heading north. When those workers have to isolate with suspected or confirmed Covid, their families also have to isolate due to being in close contact with them. Two partners in a house could both be out of work and looking to get illness benefit or the pandemic unemployment payment. This is a catastrophe for the economy in the region from which Deputy Nolan comes. Those three counties are paying a heavy price for us taking our eye off the ball. We need inspections and testing. To answer the Deputy's other question, we have received hundreds of complaints from workers about their concerns.

Finally, I have never seen an industry in my experience across the public and private sector where workers are so reluctant to come out front and talk to the media or union officials about their concerns for fear of retribution. That is a scandal in itself.