Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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1110. To ask the Minister for Health the number of passenger locator forms completed and processed in September 2020; the number of persons contacted following their arrival here via this process; the number of positive contacts made; and the number of cases of non-compliance with the restricted movements advice. [33027/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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From 01 September to 30 September 2020 there were 244,048 COVID-19 Passenger Locator Forms completed.

The Passenger Locator Form was launched in an online format in August and supports an enhanced system of engagements with arriving passengers, including the targeting of key public health messages via SMS. During September, over 278,000 public health messages issued.

Passengers may be contacted by SMS or phone call to verify their address in Ireland. In September, there were 65,764 successful phone contacts with arriving passengers to verify their place of address.

Public health advice to restrict movements following entry into Ireland is non-mandatory in nature, so non-compliance is not recorded.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1111. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider allowing religious ceremonies including baptisms and first holy communions to go ahead in churches in line with social distancing guidelines to ensure that these services which are an essential element of Catholicism can go ahead in the same way as weddings can. [33242/20]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1112. To ask the Minister for Health if he will include priests on the list of essential workers to ensure that they can carry out their pastoral care duties in their parishes which can mean outside of the 5 km restrictions [33243/20]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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1144. To ask the Minister for Health the provisions which prohibit the holding of public mass with a congregation in attendance in SI No. 413 of 2020; the provision or sections of the statutory instrument which prohibit or prevent the holding of public masses with a congregation in attendance; the legal basis for such a provision having regard to Article 44.2.1 of the Constitution which states freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion subject to public order and morality guaranteed to every citizen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32404/20]

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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1160. To ask the Minister for Health the provisions which prohibit the holding of public mass with a congregation in attendance in SI No. 413 of 202; if, in the event such a provision is in the statutory instrument, he will set out the exact provision or sections which prohibits or prevents the holding of public masses with a congregation in attendance; the legal basis for such a provision having regard to Article 44.2.1 of the Constitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32460/20]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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1387. To ask the Minister for Health the specific evidentiary basis for the restrictions on public worship; if he will reconsider permitting physical attendance at religious services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33499/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1111, 1112, 1144, 1160 and 1387 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 was published by the Government on 15 September. This Framework sets out Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19 in a range of areas over the next 6 - 9 months.

The Plan sets out five levels of response, each with a number of measures designed to help us all lower COVID-19 transmission and setting out what is permitted at that moment in time. It aims to allow society and businesses to be able to operate as normally as possible, while continuing to suppress the virus. The Plan is framed to account for periods during which there is a low incidence of the disease, with isolated clusters and low community transmission, through to situations where there is a high or rapidly increasing incidence, widespread community transmission and the pandemic is escalating rapidly in Ireland and globally. It recognises the need for society and business to be allowed to continue as normally as possible and is designed so that either national or county level restrictions can be applied. Each level outlines what is permitted for social or family gatherings, work and public transport, bars, hotels and restaurants, exercise activities and religious services.

As I am sure the Deputies can appreciate, COVID-19 spreads when individuals and groups come into close contact with one another, enabling the virus to move from one person to another. COVID-19 is infectious in a person with no symptoms, or for the period of time before they develop symptoms. For this reason, we are all asked to be extra careful when socialising and working with others. For now, we must act like we have the virus to protect those around us from infection.

The number of people allowed to gather in different scenarios in the Government Framework are based on a review of international practice and the judgment of public health experts. It seeks to balance the risks of different types of gatherings against the desire to allow normal activities to proceed in so far as possible.

It is advised to socialise safely and within the capacity limits. These various limits in the Levels are all designed to reduce the number of households mixing with each other and cut down the virus’s chances of spreading into more homes.

The Deputies should note, that the numbers should not be considered a target - they are the maximum recommended number. It’s always safer to meet less people, less often, for less time. If we do this, we have a better chance of keeping to the lower Levels in the Framework, and continuing to keep businesses, schools, and healthcare services open, while also protecting the most vulnerable.

The ‘Framework for Restrictive Measures in Response to COVID-19’ in the Living with Covid Plan provides for restrictions on gatherings of people indoors given the higher risk associated with these types of activities and sets out when it is considered that religious services can take place with protective measures (Levels 1 and 2) and when they must move online (Levels 3,4 and 5). Weddings and funerals are exceptions and can continue at every level with limited numbers.

Churches and other places of worship can remain open for private prayer. It is also important to note that at all levels, Ministers of Religion are permitted to travel to perform a service on-line, to minister to the sick, and conduct a funeral or wedding ceremony. The relevant regulations relating to Level 5 restrictions are S.I. 448 of 2020 (Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (NO. 8) Regulations 2020).

Throughout the pandemic, the Government has sought to implement these measures on the basis of guidance as opposed to regulations wherever possible. It could be noted that holding a religious gathering is not a penal offence.

I and my Cabinet colleagues recognise the immense sacrifices that are being made be people across the country at this difficult time. I know that that includes many people who are affected by their inability to attend church in the way they have been used to. However, there has been significant engagement and solidarity from the Catholic Church and other Faiths at all stages throughout this pandemic to ensure the protection of individuals and communities from COVID-19. Indeed, as the Deputies will be aware, the Taoiseach met with the leaders of the Catholic Church last week to consider the range of issues relating this matter.

Finally, the Deputies will wish to note that comprehensive guidelines are in place to ensure that religious services can take place safely whenthey recommence:

Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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1113. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ensure blind and vision impaired persons have access to Covid-19 health information in their preferred format, including braille, large print and audio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33642/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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COVID-19 has had a significant impact on every individual, especially those with additional needs.

Considerable efforts have been undertaken by the Department and by the relevant State bodies in putting in place measures to protect vulnerable groups. The Department is working closely with the HSE on engagement with representative organisations including the Irish Deaf Society and the National Council for the Blind (NCBI) on the development of public health information in braille and ISL formats.

Since March this year, my Department and the HSE have been working together to make the COVID-19 public health advice accessible to many groups of people, with different abilities and needs and from varied communities. Many of the results of these projects are available online, on hse.ie:

Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte TD, met with Inclusion Ireland in August to discuss a number of issues, including Covid-19 and its impact on people with disabilities. This was also discussed at meeting with Family Carers Ireland in September attended by both Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, and Minister Rabbitte.

The #Inthistogether Wellbeing and Mental Health campaign delivered by the Department of Health featured radio advertising and social media activity to raise awareness about the need for social distancing in support of people who are visually impaired and people with disabilities.

The HSE has partnered with NCBI to produce audio, braille and Large Print versions of the public health information, including the information booklets sent to all homes. The partnership includes audio versions of the information available online, and also copied onto CDs and posted to people registered as visually impaired with NCBI. Likewise, Large Print or Braille versions are posted to those who use those formats.

I have also asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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1114. To ask the Minister for Health if holistic therapists who are providing reflexology and massage therapy for a range of different health needs and different ages are considered essential workers under guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33713/20]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1177. To ask the Minister for Health if acupuncture is deemed an essential service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32530/20]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1189. To ask the Minister for Health if traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture practitioners (details supplied) will be permitted to operate in level 5 in view of the health benefits for their patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32598/20]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1191. To ask the Minister for Health if health services such as acupuncture and osteopathy are permitted to operate under level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32585/20]

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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1199. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter on a new classification of acupuncture (details supplied); and the reason for closing this type of service down under level 5 restrictions. [32619/20]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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1209. To ask the Minister for Health if professionals not included under the Act but who are engaged in pain management therapies and physical therapy can continue to operate. [32666/20]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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1242. To ask the Minister for Health if the profession of medical acupuncturist can be considered for inclusion as an essential service under level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32758/20]

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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1262. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the concerns expressed by acupuncturists at their inability to practice and provide a service to their clients under the Covid-19 level 5 restrictions; if he will consider reviewing the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32825/20]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1318. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that acupuncturists and other well-being therapists will be permitted to work during the pandemic restrictions in view of the important healthcare role they perform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33110/20]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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1366. To ask the Minister for Health the position for holistic therapies such as reflexology, reiki and so on under essential services during the level 4 and level 5 phases of lockdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33381/20]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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1388. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter concerning massage therapists (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33572/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1114, 1177, 1189, 1191, 1199, 1209, 1242, 1262, 1318, 1366 and 1388 together.

As the Deputy is aware, Ireland is currently at Level 5 of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 - the Plan for Living with COVID-19. At Level 5, only essential retail outlets and essential services are allowed to open to the public.

The list of essential services that can remain open during Level 5 includes therapy services provided by a member of a designated profession within the meaning of section 3 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (No. 27 of 2005). There are seventeen professions designated under the 2005 Act, which are encompassed in the list of essential services. These are: Dietitians, Dispensing Opticians, Medical Scientists, Occupational Therapists, Optometrists, Physiotherapists (which includes Physical Therapists), Radiographers, Radiation Therapists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists, Clinical Biochemists, Counsellors, Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Social Care Workers.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1115. To ask the Minister for Health the level of compliance in filling out the passenger locator form on a weekly basis from 5 October 2020; the number of forms which were correctly and incorrectly completed on a weekly basis; and the number of persons that refused to fill out the form on a weekly basis, in tabular form. [33892/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The following table provides the numbers of COVID-19 Passenger Locator Forms received and the number of forms that were incorrectly completed in the given timeframe.

Incorrectly completed forms refers to paper forms containing incomplete of illegible information. The Border Management Unit within the Department of Justice have informed my Department that there were no cases of persons refusing to complete the COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form in Dublin Airport in the given time period.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1117. To ask the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that An Garda Síochána has adequate powers to restrict the movements of persons who are ordinarily resident outside this jurisdiction in view of the restrictions on domestic travel in accordance with the national framework for living with Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32022/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 (SI No. 448 of 2020) came into operation on 22 October, 2020. These Regulations provide that a person may not leave their place of residence without reasonable excuse. The regulations define place of residence for people resident in the State and people not ordinarily resident in the State. In relation to a person who is not ordinarily resident in the State, the regulations define place of residence as the premises in the State, if any, at which he or she is currently residing, whether on a permanent or temporary basis.