Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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132. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding preventive actions for Ebola in our ports and airports; the other preventative measures that have been implemented; if he is satisfied that Irish citizens are protected from the spread of Ebola; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40735/14]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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133. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for screening for Ebola at airports and ports here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40824/14]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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146. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for dealing with an outbreak of Ebola here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40823/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 133 and 146 together.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak to be a Public Health Event of International Concern on 8 August 2014. The total number of cases by 17 October in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is 9191, with 4546 deaths. The WHO officially declared the outbreak in Senegal over on 17 October, and the outbreak in Nigeria over on 20 October.

The European Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) concluded that the risk of a case in the EU is considered to be low in its latest risk assessment. Environmental conditions in Ireland do not support the natural sources or vectors of Ebola. Consequently, the risk of transmission in Ireland is considered very low.

The EU Decision No 1082/2013/EU on serious cross-border threats to health, agreed under the Irish Presidency, provides a coherent framework for tackling all serious cross-border public health threats. It addresses three main areas:

- preparedness and response planning;

- risk monitoring and assessment; and

- risk management and crisis communication.

The EU response to the health issues raised by the outbreak is being coordinated through the EU Health Security Committee which consists of representatives of the 28 Member States and the Commission. The Committee has held a number of audio conferences on Ebola since the outbreak began. The latest was held this week, with another meeting scheduled for next week.

These meetings have focused on:

- preparedness in Member States,

- coordination of the response amongst Member States,

- support to affected countries, and

- repatriation of EU nationals.

The National Public Health Emergency Team is the forum for coordinating the response between the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive during the planning and response phases of a public health emergency. It has met a number of times in recent weeks to coordinate preparedness in the Irish health services and will meet weekly to review progress and coordinate the response to any cases in Ireland.

The Management of Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers in Ireland (VHF) is the national guideline for the management of any case of Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers, including Ebola, in Ireland. They were published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in 2012. Parts of this guidance have been updated in light of the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The key elements to the guidelines include:

- the need for vigilance in considering the possibility of VHF in a person with a fever who has recently returned (within 21 days) from travel to an endemic area,

- the institution of appropriate infection control measures if a case is suspected,

- rapid testing and diagnosis of the case, and

- the management of his/her contacts.

Given appropriate infection control measures, an outbreak with extensive community transmission is extremely unlikely.

The HPSC have produced specific information for travellers and people who have returned recently form affected areas. This includes specific information for humanitarian workers who may wish to volunteer to provide their services in the affected countries.

Advice for airport and port managers that had been developed was circulated to all relevant stakeholders. This information was posted on the HPSC website. The guidance document, Update for Airport Managers and Airlines on Ebola Virus Diseasewas posted on 22 August 2014 and the guidance document Update for Port Managers and Ferry Companies on Ebola Virus Diseasewas posted on 5 September 2014. Posters (in English, French and Irish) - Returning from West Africa? Important information about Ebola– were printed and distributed to all airports and the main designated seaports. They have been placed in prominent positions in full line of sight of all arriving passengers and crews in the arrivals areas of these locations.

The health sector response is the major element of Ireland’s national Ebola preparedness. Firstly, it provides the expert advice and guidance to other Departments and, secondly, it puts in place the specific arrangements for an appropriate public health and clinical response to any case that might arise in this country. The HSE has established a cross directorate group to fast track training of front line health care staff and this group is developing a plan to do so. In addition, the Acute Hospitals Directorate has established an Ebola response management group to increase preparedness across all hospitals.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has provided extensive information for hospital clinicians, general practitioners and other healthcare workers to enable rapid identification and management of suspected Ebola cases. Healthcare workers in the National Isolation Unit and hospitals around the country have received information and advice on identification and management of Ebola patients. There is also extensive guidance relating to infection prevention and control which clearly describes the steps that staff must take to ensure that they protect themselves and other patients in the event of the presentation of a case or suspected case of Ebola. Two information sessions on Ebola and relevant guidance will take place this week and representatives of the National Isolation Unit will also attend to answer any queries that hospitals may have.

The National Isolation Unit located at the Mater Hospital, Dublin, is the national referral centre for high risk suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola. The self-contained unit has 12 beds and is designed to admit, isolate and treat patients suspected or diagnosed with highly infectious diseases. Staff in the unit have received specific training in the use of the appropriate distributed Personal Protective Equipment to be used in the management of a suspected Ebola patient.

In Ireland, all diagnostic tests for Ebola will be carried out in the BioSafety Level 3 facility at the National Virus Reference Laboratory in Dublin. Testing is only carried out with prior consultation with the laboratory, who will provide advice on the packaging and transfer of specimens.

Airport screening been the subject of extensive discussion at EU level. At recent meeting of the EU Health Security Committee, a number of options for inward screening at airports for Ebola were discussed. It remains the view, based on advices from ECDC, that it is far more effective to support the implementation of exit screening in affected countries. However, it was noted that the provision of clear information to passengers from affected countries, particularly in relation to symptoms and how to access health care, are important measures in preventing the spread of the disease. A number of countries have recently introduced entry screening in their airports. In all cases this has been targeted at passengers who have recently travelled from the affected countries. The scientific evidence does not support the introduction of airport screening for passengers arriving in Irish airports at this time.

All elements of the Irish response to date are based on best practice and take account of national and international best practice, and will be reviewed when new information becomes available as the situation evolves. The Department continues to work closely with the HSE, other government departments, the WHO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the EU Commission, Member States and other partners to coordinate measures to tackle the Ebola epidemic and to protect Irish citizens.