Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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As Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I very much support the proposals from Professor McConkey and Professor Ryan on increased co-operation between North and South on Covid and the east-west connection. I will work my hardest with my committee to follow that up. I live in a Border county, from the River Boyne in Drogheda to the Border at Carlingford Lough.

We are under serious pressure in County Louth. Outside of County Dublin, we have the highest rate in the country. Our worries are serious and concerning but within the county, there are districts such as Ardee with a population of 25,000 that has fewer than five cases per 100,000, and in the north near the Border there is the district of Dundalk and Carlingford with a population of 25,000 and 136 cases per 100,000. How do we deal with that? What is the appropriate action to take if we are going to shut up a whole county when there is a huge population that has a serious problem and there is also a population that does not? Can the witnesses advise on that?