Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry to interrupt Dr. De Gascun, but I am tight on time. I get the point of what he is saying. Professor Nolan already outlined in terms of airport testing that we would have a lot of misses in the context of community testing. It can be accepted that PCR testing is not the gold standard in terms of one single test. I believe we should be looking at other testing regimes in tandem with PCR testing.

I have two questions with regard to restaurants. What are the criteria for locking down hospitality? On what number of cases per 100,000 is that decision made? What number must it fall below, and for what period of time, before a local restriction will be lifted? When will consideration be given to locking down based on a case rate per 100,000 people in a local electoral area, which I understand is being done in parts of the Continent? For example, certain suburbs of Dublin and areas in Donegal have a high case rate but the rate in other areas in the same counties is below the national average.

From Monday, 25 October, hospitality will have been essentially closed for a period of two weeks. If case numbers increase or remain at the same level, will consideration be given to the idea that hospitality is not the root cause of infections and outbreaks within the community?