Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I apologise. I thought I was going to get to ask a couple of questions.

I have not had the opportunity to ask any questions. We do not have the time. I need to finish up the meeting. Apologies to end on a negative note.

First, on behalf of the committee, I thank our guests and apologise again for the technical issues we had today. The witnesses have passed on some really good information to the committee today, particularly around the numbers of deaths, which are down. Do we know why? Is it linked to the number of cases of people who are getting Covid-19? Perhaps Dr. Glynn could come back to us on that. Is it down to the hospitals and medical staff getting more experience in dealing with Covid-19?

There is really positive work, for example, the initiative around people who are asymptomatic and the introduction of walk-in centres. We need to do more around encouraging more people to use those centres. Again, it is probably a role not only for public representatives but something in which the community can be involved. I am concerned about some areas. I know of one in Dublin where something like 150 people used the walk-in centre. One might look at an area such as Finglas, where 6% of those captured had Covid-19. There is, therefore, much positive work.

The biggest concern many of us have is that we are losing people with regard to many of the restrictions, the logic of which people do not understand. For instance, we are allowing children to go back to school. If one looks at the figures of the outdoor transmission of Covid-19, however, people will say we are allowing children back into schools but they cannot go out for a game of hurling in the yard with their friends or whatever. Those types of issues concern people. Bookshops have some suppliers that are open while others are not. Many issues out there could probably be addressed.

I thank the witnesses for their work. It has been really useful for the committee to get their feedback. Again, we would appreciate if Dr. Glynn could forward that information on the modelling. I thank him and his colleagues.

That concludes our business for today. The meeting now stands adjourned until 3.30 p.m. next Tuesday, 20 April, when we will get a briefing from the HSE and the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, on the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, which we covered today. Again, I thank all present and look forward to seeing members at the private meeting this afternoon.