Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Higgins is entirely right that the flow of information and data is our friend and ally in this pandemic. We have to keep bringing people with us and explain why we are asking them to make such serious changes in their lives and bear with serious restrictions. The Deputy is also right that we are now seeing several counties that have not had a case in several days. I think County Sligo leads the league table and has been without new cases for 22 days, from the information I saw yesterday. I think County Kerry might have reached three weeks. There are several counties that, thankfully, have not seen a case in some time. That is one of the reasons we are asking people to stay local, so that by the time we get to phase 2, we will have further weakened the grip of this virus on many parts of our country. I will certainly ask the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, if it is possible to do as Deputy Higgins suggested. It is a very sensible and helpful suggestion.

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