Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank each of the expert witnesses. It is great to have them here and to have their insights. I will start with a question for Professors Kearney and Staines. In presenting this zero-Covid strategy the witnesses have said it is backed by science, experience and extensive analysis. With regard to experience, are there examples of where this has been done? Is New Zealand an example or are there other places where it has been done successfully? In practical terms, what would be the implications for people in Ireland if we were to pursue this strategy? One of the aspects that received a lot of coverage was the nature of life in New Zealand, for example, where there are large gatherings of people. Would that be the case in Ireland if we pursued this successfully? For example, would pubs be allowed to reopen? Would we have large music events and that type of thing? How would life of on a practical basis be different for people in Ireland if we pursued this strategy successfully?