Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will respect your view on that absolutely, a Cheann Comhairle. I wish to join Deputy Feighan in thanking our front-line staff in the health service, as we do, rightly, every week. I have had really good engagement with the unions representing several of those workers this week. I also intend to meet the general practitioner representative body, the Irish Medical Organisation, next week. We need to continue to keep the spirit of partnership going.

Deputy Feighan is absolutely right to thank the gardaí. As the Minister for Health I am keen to thank them as well. Not only have they done their job as gardaí in terms of enforcing the law and regulations - I thank them for that - but, most important from my perspective, they have been incredible when it comes to community policing, including checking in on older people, going to the shops and doing messages. They have been really helpful lookouts for vulnerable people in our communities. I join with Deputy Feighan in that regard.

Deputy Feighan asked about the issue of self-isolation. Self-isolation is a public health measure and public health advice. In the first instance the responsibility is on each person as a citizen. If a person develops a symptom, that person should self-isolate and ring the GP. The person need not wait for a test but should self-isolate while awaiting instruction from the GP and follow the GP instructions carefully on when it is safe to self-isolate no longer. The GP will guide the person through that process rather than any duty on an employer.

Deputy Feighan asked about the Swedish model. We are all learning more about this pandemic every day. There is a great effort to draw league tables and compare countries. We do it and everyone does it. It is difficult to do, though, because this pandemic is still ongoing. In many ways, it is akin to asking the surgeon to come out of the operation halfway through to see how they have been getting on. We will know more about the different responses each country took, hopefully, when we are in a post-Covid-19 era. I have no doubt every Government, group of people, country and all public health experts will have done their best to protect their people. Which strategy turned out to be the best? Only time will tell us.

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