Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the period of decision-making on the purchase of ventilators. Mr. Gloster indicated that this started in early March 2020 and concluded at the end of April. Was early March not a bit late to start assessing the need for ventilators, given what we knew, including the issues that had arisen in January in Italy and elsewhere around the globe? I accept that Mr. Gloster was not in post at the time but it is important to hear his perspective. It seems to me that March was a little late for us to be coming to the table looking for ventilators.