Mr. Damien McCallion:

From the perspective of CAWT, I would not have a direct role, but I am also in the HSE working on our Covid-19 response so I have a couple of observations. At the departmental level, the two Chief Medical Officers would have worked very closely at recognising some of the matters mentioned by the Deputy. There was a joint memorandum of understanding put in place and I know there was regular contact, with regular calls and meetings, as various stages of the pandemic unfolded, as the Deputy noted.

At an operational level we also worked closely with colleagues in Northern Ireland around some of the challenges mentioned by the Deputy, whether that was around our testing or vaccination strategies. There was constant dialogue and where CAWT had value is that we had those relationships. I could pick up the phone to Mr. Guckian or the chief executive of the Health and Social Care Board and speak with leads there about certain areas. There was much co-operation at operations level and at policy level with the Chief Medical Officers. That is outside our remit but I should articulate it. Mr. Guckian might want to comment on how people along the Border engaged at a local level.