Mr. Damien McCallion:

I will add one or two comments, if I may. Mr. Guckian highlighted the use of technology. Unfortunately, we have all become used to Microsoft Teams and I am sure many here would be glad to see the back of it for a while. The hybrid model, as it has been described, is probably the ultimate utopia.

One of the projects CAWT was using a remote telehealth solution. I will not name the product. This allowed us to accelerate in the south some of the remote technology for use for clinics. We all know of elderly people who were able to avail of this contact, which they might not otherwise have had at the height of the pandemic. This was invaluable. I know our IT people in the south were able to leverage it and use it much quicker. I believe it won an award in recent times. This is an example of how an existing CAWT project using technology to assist in an innovative way was suddenly able to be applied in real time. This is another benefit that came from the work in the pandemic.

From my role in working with Covid in the South, I know it was great to be able to pick up the phone to Mr. Guckian or some of our colleagues in Northern Ireland and have a relationship whereby we could tease through what they were doing. Mr. Guckian spoke about their approach to vaccination in the context of local electoral areas and areas of deprivation. We were able to look and see whether there were things we could learn. If we have learned anything in Covid it is that none of us have all the answers. Collaboration and having these relationships was key to supporting our responses, apart from at a formal public health level with the chief medical officers. There was very strong collaboration at that level also.