Dr. Sharon McGuinness:

I will do my best. KPMG has supported us in the development of the RIA process.

In terms of the report, we receive that information on a weekly basis. In terms of weekly reporting it involves about five working days and is fairly flexible. We also continue to have access to what is online, etc. Numbers across the board are published on a daily basis for workplaces and community transmission. The HPSC reports, which anybody can view on its databases or website, show that it breaks down cases across nursing homes, hospitals, education, etc., and there is then a catch-all group called "workplaces", which is broken down into construction, food and meat processing. We get all of that information. Within each of those categories the specific location of the outbreak is identified, whether that is the name of a hospital, factory or whatever. We have that information alongside the caseloads in that regard.

I refer to the point about the worker. There is an obligation in that regard.

Obviously, we are all duty-bound when we work with each other to work safely and healthily together and to inform people if there are any measures in respect of which, perhaps, the group health and safety would be at issue. However, as we all know, when it comes to medical issues, people perhaps want to keep some of that information to themselves and there is a level of sensitivity in personal information in that regard, so it is challenging.

The other point is that Covid is a challenging disease. We all know that. However, we can see, through the numbers and reports by NPHET on many occasions, that the reality is that there can be as many symptomatic as asymptomatic people in the workplace. That is a challenge because in essence the reporting and identification will only happen with those who are symptomatic. Again, that could be equally challenging. We would say that through engagement between employers and employees, everybody should be working to prevent Covid coming into and spreading in the workplace. Those who are in any way sick should stay at home to stop the spread and should inform their employers. The other point is that if a worker is tested, the information goes into the public health CIDR system.