Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will ask my two questions and give the HSE as much time as possible to answer. I think that earlier Mr. Reid was prevented from putting this on the record but all my questions are in the context of a line included in his opening submission, namely that Ireland has done more testing per capitathan France, Germany, Norway and Italy. I want to commend the HSE on the work it is doing. I am not sure that there is a realisation in the public mindset of the level of testing which has actually taken place in Ireland, and the success we have had in ramping it up.

I represent a part of Dublin, the Ballymun-Finglas ward, which has had 165 cases per 100,000 over the past 14 days. It is of huge concern locally and there is not really an understanding of whether that is because of known clusters in institutions or particular communities or if it is a wider issue in the community. The community transmission rate of 25% in the area points to an issue. Could the HSE perhaps come back to me on that case because locally public representatives want to do more to try to encourage people to take all of the steps needed. Will the HSE consider doing a walk-in testing centre in that electoral area in order to improve access to testing? We do have an issue with GP access in the area and I will put my plug in for the primary care centre, as I am speaking.

I also have a concern around travel and testing. Given that I represent an area where there is such a high rate, I am concerned that travel testing may take capacity from the system. Could the HSE address that issue too? I think there are three and a half minutes remaining for that.