Results 3,401-3,420 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Does anyone else wish to contribute before we go into private session briefly in order that the clerk, Mr. McEnery, can explain the correspondence with NPHET regarding its representatives' non-attendance today?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Apparently the clerk cannot speak in public session. I have not been furnished with any reason as to why NPHET representatives are not present today. I am aware there has been extensive correspondence with them for two weeks now.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I welcome the witnesses who have come before the committee and I thank them for doing so. From the HSE, I welcome Mr. Paul Reid, chief executive officer, who I do not see on screen but who I believe is joining us, Ms Anne O'Connor, chief operations officer, Dr. Colm Henry, chief clinical officer, and Ms Niamh O'Beirne, national lead for testing and tracing. From the Health Protection...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Reid. I appreciate that. I now invite him to make his opening statement and I ask him to confine it to five minutes, if possible, as it has been circulated in advance.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Reid. I will be fairly rigid with time today because it is limited. Is Deputy Cullinane taking five or ten minutes?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have a brief follow-up question for Dr. Cuddihy. Let us suppose somebody who is asymptomatic, that is, who is showing no symptoms of Covid, has a heart attack, is brought to hospital and is tested and it is found that the person has Covid and he or she dies soon afterwards. This is a person who has demonstrated no symptoms. Is that person's death recorded as a Covid death or not? The...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Okay. I am trying to be very brief. Obviously, a coroner's report takes a long time to make its way through the system.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: For now, it is recorded as a Covid death, but it may be taken off the list at a later date. Is that what Dr. Cuddihy is saying?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Dr. Cuddihy.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I will ask a brief follow-up question about testing. There has been a lot of discussion, particularly on social media, about PCR testing. Some international doctors are claiming that the number of cycles used in a PCR test means that a person can be shown to be positive if he or she had the virus some time ago but are no longer symptomatic. Equally, I have spoken to Irish doctors who have...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: What number of cycles of testing are likely to show that people have had the virus a very long time ago, are not symptomatic and, maybe, not even be shedding anymore? There is also the issue of a margin of error that is part of all tests.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: How many cycles are utilised in Irish testing?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Where are those investigations recorded? Where can we see those investigations?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Before that, Dr. Cuddihy said he was going to go back over historic cases for the previous 14 days. What questions will be asked? Will it be a neutral question such as, "Where have you been in the past 14 days?" or a loaded question such as, "Have you been in a bar in the past 14 days?"

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Can Dr. Cuddihy send that questionnaire to the committee?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Dr. Cuddihy for saying he will send us that questionnaire. Ms O'Beirne was to answer a question of Deputy Shortall's.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Three point five is the median time. What is the average?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have to move on.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Deputy Shortall is asking if hospital figures are included in that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Update on Testing and Tracing and Rising Incidence in the State (29 Sep 2020)

Michael McNamara: Dr. Glynn told the committee that 40 critical care beds were sanctioned in March. In response to a question in the Dáil, the Taoiseach seemed to indicate that 27 were staffed and operational. It might be that they were not staffed at a given time because there was no need for them. Of the 40 sanctioned in March, how many been provided and could be used tomorrow morning if required?