David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to restate my position, which is that people should abide by the public health advice and wear masks in all of the settings where they have been asked to do so. Is there any advice from the CMO to return to the legal mandate for mask wearing or any other public health measure? Will the CMO engage with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health - that would be important - and the healthcare trade unions? As the Minister mentioned, there is frustration and fatigue in the healthcare system and there are many pressures on staff. We must do everything possible to relieve those pressures.

Any public health measure has to be underpinned by public health advice and it is important that we hear what that advice is, not from second or third parties, but directly from the public health experts themselves, which include the CMO. It is not unreasonable to ask the CMO to engage with the Opposition and the healthcare trade unions.

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