Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Holohan and the rest of NPHET for attending. I do not want to go back over the ground that has been covered. In summary, similar to what Deputy O'Rourke stated earlier, if we had started putting together a pilot scheme earlier, we would be in a different place where we would have the evidence to assess, particularly as regards aviation.

What NPHET members are saying is the aviation sector would have a responsibility. Obviously, they would state they have done some elements of work on this, but beyond that, Government would need to take a lead, no more than it is taking a lead on antigen testing in third level. The idea, as presented to us, was that sometimes serial antigen testing, especially in real time, is a better test around transmissibility at that time, and I suppose that would have to be built into it. I certainly will not get into the ins and outs of the parameters of a test, but I assume we would need those sectors to step up as quickly as possibly and to ensure that gets done.

Beyond that, what I am hearing from NPHET members is that they are talking about safe opening from the point of view of the roll-out of vaccinations, and at the same time everybody accepts the necessity of connectivity across this island and in the State as regards aviation. In that regard, I would appreciate if they could give any other indicators of anything else that can be done to ensure we have an opening up of the aviation section that it is as safe as possible and that gives people the ease to travel while being assured it can be done in a safe way.

I have a question, I assume to Professor Nolan, on whether we have game-planned the timeline of our roadmap in relation to the Delta variant and it taking the lead as the main virus as we open up. I suppose it is a battle of time in terms of the Delta variant versus the vaccine roll-out. I would appreciate if it I could answers on that.