Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the figures provided by the Minister in respect of the turnaround from test to result. That must be not the case just for positive results. Rather, it must be for positives and negatives. I have already given an example of a situation where a negative result delayed people being informed that there was no result for them and, as a result, there was a delay in providing a positive result. It is important that there is a swift turnaround time from testing to the receipt of results for both positive and negative results. I welcome the Minister's comments in that regard.

I also welcome the commitment to test all the staff on a regular weekly basis for the next month to try to eradicate this virus from nursing homes. Regardless of from where it came, the important thing is to get it out of nursing homes. I acknowledge that a tremendous amount of work has been done in building up testing capacity. Credit must be given in that regard. I have been so critical on this issue because the contact tracing system has fallen down fundamentally. I do not have confidence in it, based on the evidence I have received.

With regard to the meat plants, I am informed that, in some instances, only about one third of the close contacts of those who have been identified as positive within the meat industry have been followed up. That is completely unacceptable. It is creating a significant community risk and it is, I believe, down to the failure to have an effective contact tracing system.

This day two weeks ago, the Minister wrote to me in the context of very serious allegations I had made to him in writing regarding meat plants and nursing homes. He informed me that NPHET was to consider the report of the national outbreak management team on 22 May, which is now two weeks ago. On foot of that, the Minister was going to be in a position to address the very serious issues I had raised with him. Two weeks later, I am still waiting for answers to some very serious questions.

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