Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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1344. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the report by HIQA on the impact of wearing face masks and the recommended need to complete more quality research on their impact; and if he will consider discussing this issue at the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response with the acting Chief Medical Officer and the NPHET. [22263/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that the public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the NPHET.

Face masks aim to reduce the spread of infection by acting as a source control to stop the spread of infection by the person wearing the mask (including those who do not know they are infected) or to protect the wearer from droplet splashes or inhaling airborne contaminants including small (aerosol) and large particle droplets. Mask grades include respirators (classified as PPE designed to also protect against aerosols), medical face masks and non-medical facemasks. Since the start of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks by persons going out in public has been recommended by an increasing number of countries. In Ireland, cloth face coverings are recommended in situations where physical distancing may not be possible, and are mandatory on public transport and in shops and other retail outlets. The current advice regarding face coverings, including the circumstances in which it is mandatory to wear a face covering, is available at

To inform national efforts in response to COVID-19, HIQA is developing evidence summaries to answer specific research questions posed by the NPHET. The HIQA evidence summary on the use of face masks in the community, dated 21 August 2020 identifies that national and international public health guidance on the wearing of facemasks is based on low certainty direct evidence of clinical effectiveness and indirect evidence that supports the plausibility of effectiveness of face masks. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 appears to be more infectious than many other respiratory pathogens studied, highlighting the necessity of considering a range of infection prevention control measures, including face masks, to reduce the spread of infection.

As I am sure the Deputy can appreciate, the evidence relating to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the decisions necessary to protect everybody living in Ireland from its effects is constantly evolving. The international evidence and guidance on this issue continues to be kept under review by the NPHET, by my Department and by the Government.

It is not possible to say what circumstances will apply in the future due to the nature of the virus that has caused this global pandemic and the concerns that remain about the very serious threats to health that can be caused by this virus.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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1345. To ask the Minister for Health when the expert report on the impact of Covid-19 and the responses by health officials on nursing homes will be released to the public and debated by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22264/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Nursing Homes Expert Panel Report was published on the 19th of August. The report includes 86 recommendations in total, over 15 thematic areas, with associated timelines for implementation over the short, medium and long term.

An oversight structure has been established to ensure the implementation of the important recommendations contained in this Report. This encompasses the establishment of both an Implementation Oversight Team and a Reference Group. The Implementation Oversight Team will determine an approach to, and oversee the implementation of, the relevant COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel recommendations.

The Chair of the Expert Panel has been invited to appear at the COVID-19 Special Committee meeting on 16 September.