John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the HSE team for, by and large, rising to the huge challenge. I include in that everybody involved in testing and tracing, Óglaigh na hÉireann, which transports the tests, and everybody on the front line.

On my way in, I listened to Dr. David Nabarro on the radio. We now have five weeks left at level 5. How does the HSE propose to use that time to prepare for the next phase? What has it learned from the last phase?

I keep referencing the Spanish flu in terms of precedents. I do not think we should forget about it. There was a second wave in October and November and a third surge in March and April. We may predict that. It would be terrific if it did not happen, but that was the pattern 100 years ago.

What have the witnesses learned over the past number of months? Are 800 contact tracers sufficient to deal with the ongoing requirements for testing and tracing? Will that number be sufficient to deal with a potential third surge?