Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for the work they are doing, as well as all the staff involved with tracking and tracing. I will ask a couple of questions on different topics. Will Dr. Kelleher deal again with how people are contacted and the response tracers get? In the past week, all of us, as public representatives, have received fairly nasty emails on various matters. For example, I got one stating "I hope you die screaming" and another stating "You are nothing but scum, I hope you burn in hell".

What kind of reaction are staff getting? Are they getting abusive reactions when they are contacted? Is the case I am referring to an extreme one?

I raised an issue ten days ago about texting when people come in from abroad. They fill out the locator form and get a text in the first day stating they must isolate for 14 days. They then get a further text on the second day asking if they are in the location they said they would be. If one replies "Yes", one gets a different text. Then one gets a third text some time later which gives the impression that one does not have to comply with the 14-day requirement for self-isolation.

No one has confirmed to me who is sending out these texts. The text itself does not state who sent it. The Department of Transport has said it is not involved, as has the HSE and the Department of Foreign Affairs. We are now coming up to the Christmas period. It must be ensured that whatever texts go out that it is clearly identified from where they are coming. Has this issue been resolved? No one has confirmed to me that it has.

Rapid turnaround antigen testing has been rolled out in some countries, particularly in schools. Where does that stand here? People with vitamin deficiencies seem to have a greater risk of contracting Covid, as well as finding it more difficult to deal with it. Does the HSE intend to have a campaign to highlight this issue to ensure people can respond accordingly?