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

That seems to be the implication. We accepted NPHET's advice today in respect of Dublin. NPHET will meet again on Thursday and it could give other advice in that regard.

I think the Deputy was unfair in what he said about a question I was asked. I said that the CMO can go into more technical detail. To be fair, this goes back to the Tipperary question. The numbers were going high in Tipperary and the Deputy was worried that there would be a lockdown, to call a spade a spade. However, there are different iterations and different patterns which do not necessarily mean that when one looks at the volume of numbers one should jump to a certain conclusion. That is what I meant, and the CMO and public health officials will say the same thing. Not every county will be the same. Numbers will emerge in certain counties and there might be reasons behind those numbers that demand a specific type of response which is different from a response in a different county. That is just the reality, and that is how the public health advice will emerge and evolve over time.

On the more fundamental point, I accept the Deputy's point that he agrees with and supports the five levels. I appreciate that. It is positive. It has to be for six months.

That will give people clarity. The Government makes decisions based on advices on a number of matters. The broad thrust of NPHET's advice on the five levels has been accepted, as has the advice on congregation and so on.

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