Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask the Tánaiste for more detail about the Plan for Living with Covid-19 roadmap. In particular, what specific metrics will be used by Government and the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, to indicate when it is safe to exit level 5 of the restrictions? For instance, will it be on the reproductive number falling below a certain level or the number of daily cases, or other metrics dealing with the positivity rate, including hospitalisations or availability of ICU beds?

I am sure the Tánaiste is aware through his Department of the need to manage expectations of businesses. The same applies to the public as well as the tourism sector and sporting organisations that legitimately want to understand where the country stands. I feel specific metrics from a robust, risk-based scientific approach need to be applied to each of the levels within the Plan for Living with Covid-19 roadmap. Therefore, I would appreciate if the Tánaiste could provide clarity about the plan from exiting level 5 and what sort of metrics need to be achieved over the next six weeks.

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