Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Shortall is right about the partnership approach. There are things we need to do as a Government, a State and a health service. There are things people are doing very well. We desperately want to get what we are doing right. The Deputy acknowledges that. People are trying to do everything humanly possible to get our testing and tracing to where it needs to be. The commitments given by the HSE today were significant in that regard. I welcome the Deputy's comments on the Covid-19 committee to the effect that it will not become a party political group but is more focused on trying to get the information, get the answers and apply that focus..

The Deputy is correct that the more data that can be shared open source, the better. I have no difficulty with that and will talk to Paul Reid in advance of his attendance at the committee to see how much can be achieve on that.

On testing, the Deputy will be interested to know that following a request from NPHET, the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre will proceed with plans to undertake a population zero prevalence study. It is intended to submit an application to the national Covid-19 research ethics committee later this week and, subject to ethics approval and completion of a clinical validation of a suitable antibody test, the aim is to start a zero prevalence study in the next four weeks. That could be of potential assistance.

The Deputy's comments on PPE make sense. We must secure whatever we can because speed is of the essence but considering the virus will be with us longer, and how we do things will change, we will need a big supply of PPE now and for the foreseeable future. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to see how we can pull together the HSE and some of her agencies to see how we can support the economy in trying to benefit from that.

I have no intention of us at least temporarily owning private hospitals and having a situation whereby the taxpayers pay for them and not for public work. It just does not make any sense. There are issues around continuity of care from a medical ethics perspective but aside from continuity of care, I understand there will be a single list but I will write to the Deputy on this.

On capacity generally, Laura McGahey, leader of the Sláintecare office is analysing where Sláintecare stands - in a good sense - and what lessons can be learned out of the HSE board. We will consider capacity as part of that.

I take on board the Deputy's point about the limitations of the funding scheme for disability services. I will return to her on that.

On opening up for the over 70s, I heard the same as her about tennis and it did sound rather peculiar. I will seek the advice of NPHET on how cocooning - which again, is a phrase I do not like using - may evolve as we move forward in the plan.

On childcare and schools, the reopening of both will be key. I will be happy to meet Deputy Whitmore or to get the Minister, Katherine Zappone, to engage with her to see if it is possible to bring stakeholders together.

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