Dr. Ronan Glynn:

I will keep it brief. There is no new quantitative information. What we have heard over and over again throughout the duration of our response to this pandemic are the granular qualitative stories, narratives and data that our public health doctors and their teams have given us. It is difficult to put all of that into a weekly or regular report. However, time and again they have told us about the extent to which socialisation has an impact on this, whether it is extended family gatherings, friends meeting up or, in particular, hospitality settings. Again, this is not in any way seeking to attribute blame. The reality is that when people consume alcohol, they drop their guard. That is precisely what this virus wants us to do. It is difficult enough for a person to remember to keep a distance of 2 m, avoid touching his or her face, wash hands, wear a mask appropriately and avoid crowds at the best of times. I do not believe there is anyone who can say with confidence that they can do all that appropriately having consumed any significant level of alcohol. It is a factor. It is one more factor that we need to continue to address. Again, I am simply trying to reflect. Dr. Holohan was trying to reflect the concerns expressed to us by those who are at the coalface dealing with the impact of this on families and communities throughout the country.