David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1162. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of increasing funding by 10% to the communicable diseases control policy unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21477/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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There are no individual staffing budgets allocated to Units of my Department. Within the Department’s overall staffing budget and depending on prioritised business needs, employees of the Department are assigned to work within business units as required. The previously named Communicable Diseases Control Policy Unit is one of the Units which has very recently been brought in under a new Health Protection Division. The particular Unit referenced is part of a wider Division which has a particular focus, alongside the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, on the response to Covid-19 and a range of other related issues. Previously, this particular Unit had nine members of staff at various grades. Were the Department to allocate a 10% increase in the staffing budget for that Unit as it was, it would fund an additional staff member at Higher Executive Officer level.

Throughout 2020 the Department has adopted a flexible approach to its staffing in order to address the main priority areas it has needed to address. The Department is undergoing a reorganisation of its structure at the present time in order to best respond to its overall responsibilities in a sustainable way, while placing a particular focus on the response to Covid-19. Functions are being reassigned to various Divisions of the Department at the present time, with resources being assigned as they become available, using a flexible approach to account for business needs as they arise.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1163. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of developing a new national pandemic plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21478/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has indicated that it will publish a medium term national roadmap for managing the next phase of the pandemic response. Significant financial resources have already been provided across all aspects of government, and future resourcing will be dealt with by way of the Estimates 2021 process.