Dáil debates

Wednesday, 21 October 2020

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

12:30 pm

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We know that the public will play its part, but the State also needs to play its part. We need absolute assurance that there will be a system in place after this lockdown about which we can feel confident. Does the Taoiseach have confidence in this recruitment company? I certainly have my doubts. Does he have the confidence that he is being briefed in the way that he needs to be when a failure occurs? Two weeks ago, a senior public health person had to take to the airwaves to say how under pressure they were. It was no surprise that what happened at the weekend happened. It was predicted by virtue of the fact that staff were saying they were nearing collapse. The Taoiseach found out from someone texting him about an article in The Irish Times. I would have thought that he would be fully informed by those who need to inform him of something that is a big problem, for example, where 2,000 people are being asked to do their own contact tracing. That is not good enough. Surely the Taoiseach agrees it is not good enough.

From the point of view of what the State is doing, what will be in place by the end of this lockdown to stop us from having to go into further lockdowns? I accept the testing has been scaled up, so it is the contact tracing on which I want the Taoiseach to concentrate.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.