Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to add my voice of sympathy and to extend my condolences to everybody who has buried a loved one in these most heartbreaking of circumstances. It is important to acknowledge that from the start the right model and approach was adopted in response to the public health emergency and credit is due to everybody for that. The approach being test, isolate and trace and to do that in a comprehensive manner. The same is true of the advice given by way of public health notice to the general public on hand hygiene and to remain connected but to stay physically apart. All of that has been an outstanding success. The emergency measures and restrictions that have been introduced have been very difficult for people and families. We should acknowledge that some are struggling but the country and communities have rallied magnificently. Front-line staff, especially those within the health services, are to be congratulated and thanked. The best way we can thank them is to pay them well and to respect their work, not just in the heat of an emergency but always.

We have made extraordinary asks of people and we will continue to ask that precautions are observed. Therefore, it has been most unhelpful that members of Government have engaged in thinking out loud and kite flying, and created nearly an impression that 5 May was a red-letter day when we all would be liberated from these restrictions. That caused confusion. It was doubly unfair, having done that, to then criticise complacency and almost point the finger at the public or sections of the public. I hope we will not have a repeat of that.

I very much welcome, and the Taoiseach might confirm, that tomorrow he will set out the roadmap ahead. Having made extraordinary asks of the people, they are at a minimum due the respect of being given clear comprehensive information and it being done very transparently.

I want to raise a number of issues with the Taoiseach, the first of which is testing and tracing. We now have a target of 100,000 tests per week. I ask the Taoiseach to confirm for the Dáil that target will be met, and he might set out how it will be met. I am mindful that announcements have been made previously, citing very large ambitious targets, and these never matched what was happening on the ground. At what point and at what date will we have the 100,000 tests, will that happen in real time, and will we have the tracing to match and complement that?

I want to raise also with the Taoiseach protection for vulnerable groups, which he cites as the second condition for any easing of measures. Looking at what is happening in the nursing homes, one could not be confident that we have the provisions, resources and protections necessary for that very vulnerable group of people. When will nursing homes have enough staff? When will they have adequate personal protection equipment? When will the testing of nursing home staff and residents be completed?

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