Dáil debates

Thursday, 8 October 2020

7:20 pm

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Magnanimous, I know.

The Minister and I, along with other colleagues in the House, have engaged in hearings of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response. Unlike other Deputies here I am not interested in what happened last weekend. I am interested in our strategy and where we go from here. Without going back over where we were, the committee was very important and I am personally sorry to see it conclude without some continuing platform for the interpretation and interrogation of Covid-19 strategy. I know this function might be taken over by the Committee on Health, but I thought we were doing a pretty good job.

We have learned that testing and tracing are key. In that regard, I will give the Minister a synopsis of where I think we are at the moment. Earlier this evening I was looking at some data about the R number. In Dublin it is probably about 1.2 and for the country at large it is about 1.5. On that basis, incidence of the disease will double within two weeks. We know that testing and tracing are key and that we can individually test based on symptoms, which is what we are currently doing. We could screen test based on the indices, but we would need more capacity. If the disease keeps on rising we cannot continue to do either without adequate testing capacity or tracing resources.

NPHET has persevered with real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR, testing only. It has refused to look at loop-mediated isothermal amplification, LAMP, testing or antigen testing, despite it being used everywhere else in the First World. Our border is open and air travel remains unrestricted. Our intensive care unit, ICU, capacity is fast diminishing and other diagnostic procedures such as breast cancer and cervical cancer screening are being deferred. As I have already told the Minister, my own hospital, University Hospital Waterford, has just one cardiac care isolation room. The Minister kicked that question on to the HSE, which has not bothered to answer me yet.

On top of this, numerous business sectors are also in need of intensive care and cannot continue to endure on-again, off-again business. The Tánaiste has suggested a circuit-breaker for the country in the form of a national lockdown.

What plan does the Government or NPHET have to deliver screen testing or asymptomatic targeting as a strategic move to isolate disease clusters in individuals? I brought antigen testing information to NPHET 13 weeks ago. All evidence shows it could seriously augment our national testing capacity. Why has this testing not been considered or used? Why has NPHET not considered the use of LAMP testing, which is now in use in Germany, France and Italy? Will the Minister commit to providing a pathway for outside medical opinion leaders to engage with NPHET on a regular basis regarding the ongoing modelling and testing it approves?

Will he provide a platform for private industry to engage with NPHET on the possible roll-out of new technologies and to ensure a structured platform is developed such that follow-up analysis is communicated by NPHET to these industry leads?

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