Dr. Tony Holohan:

We can correspond directly with Dr. Henry's office to get the Deputy an update, because that plan is in development. There will be a plan but I am not going to put a timeline on it on his behalf. That work is under way and we are in discussion on it. Our discussion between the HSE and NPHET has been twofold: on the need for the HSE to put those plans in place for the reasons outlined by the Deputy and on the measures we need to take, either as part of a joint procurement arrangement or a direct bilateral agreement with the companies involved to get access to the appropriate supplies of these antivirals. When we look at this, it is not just the experience with Omicron. Some will conclude that Omicron, as a less severe disease, might draw less on a potential quantum of antivirals. However, we need to maintain a focus on the potential value of a stockpile of these kinds of drugs as we had in the past with Tamiflu and Relenza for the purpose of influenza. To all intents and purposes, it is there as an insurance policy for people who might benefit from access to antivirals in the event that we have a further variant. If might be particularly important if there is vaccine escape in the context of a new variant. That is where our focus has been. We will ensure that Dr. Henry's office gets the Deputy an update on precisely where the HSE is at in regard to pathways of care.