Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is shamelessly playing politics with this and she knows it. I agree 100% in regard to testing and tracing and the centrality of it. It is in the plan and the Deputy knows it is in the plan in terms of ramping up testing capacity and contact tracing capacity, and extra numbers being employed. That is the reality. She talks about the midlands. The Government action on the midlands was quick and it was tough, but it yielded results in terms of stabilising the numbers in the midlands and getting the numbers down in Laois, Offaly and Kildare at the time. That will continue. We will continue to improve and to strengthen our testing and tracing responses, and it is a central part of the plan that we have outlined today.

Critically, we also have to be straight with people in terms of the need for all of us to take personal responsibility and adhere to the public health guidance. We have accepted NPHET’s advice in regard to Dublin today and the Government has acted on that, and NPHET will meet again next week in that respect. Our fundamental objective will always be to protect lives and the protection of harm to people as a result of Covid-19, and then maintaining the essential public services we need, that our children and young people need in going to college and to education, and putting in all the resources we can to withstand what will be a lot of significant pressures in the winter time on our health service as a result of Covid-19. Both of those are very important, as well as other aspects of the economy and jobs.

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