Ms Orla Hegarty:

I cannot obviously speak for the expert committee but I can speak personally on that point. I do not feel that the response has been adequate or that the public health message has been clear. The vast majority of people to whom I speak do not know why it is important and if they have heard the word ventilation, they do not understand why it is significant. Many of the policy and sectoral documents advocate improving ventilation if appropriate or if possible. They do not explain that it is absolutely critically key as a first defence. There are also a number of other flaws across this issue.

One is that sectoral guidance is left to the sectors to write. Whether it is sports, construction, childcare, nursing homes, shops, hairdressers or dentists, the sectors are writing their own guidance and a scientific review is not being done on whether that is consistent, correct or up to date. A significant number of documents out there are scientifically incorrect and out of date. People are doing their best and what they think is appropriate but are doing the wrong things. This needs a more co-ordinated approach and needs to align with epidemiological modelling, which is to understand the changes in how we model the spread of disease because this is not a disease of averages. Very targeted interventions could be much more effective than blanket restrictions.