David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is a dual problem. There is a problem which testers and tracers face in the context of rising numbers. More than 1,200 cases on average a day is part of the problem. Equally, part of the problem is a lack of capacity. This has been flagged time and again by many of us with staff coming to us telling us there are problems. Time and again this has been raised.

I have examples. There are 64 medical laboratory aides who are in a pool who could have been employed since July but have not been taken on by the State. There are 14 medical scientists. Why in God's name have those staff not been employed? There are 64 clerical officers and yet we are told there is not enough staff. It is the case that rising numbers, in part, are putting huge pressure on the system. Equally, there are problems with lack of capacity and we did not use the summer months to build it up. In fact, many staff who were seconded, rightly so at the time, were brought back to what they were doing and not replaced.

There is a real problem here. I do not believe two hours of their schedule next week - if they can do it remotely - would be too onerous. Given the scale of the challenge we all face, what people are being asked to do and the sacrifices people are being asked to make, we need to look at this issue. It really has upset people that more than 2,500 people will have to become contact tracers themselves. We should meet next week and I am asking members of the committee to support that request.