Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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1287. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider extending the 5 km travel limit for persons who live in rural areas in view of the unreasonable restrictions this will place on persons who reside in isolated or low-population density areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32933/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On Tuesday 15 September the Government published ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’. This Plan outlines our medium-term strategy for COVID-19 and sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outline the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. The Plan is designed to help everyone – individuals, organisations and sectors – to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures that might be introduced to contain transmission of the virus.

Restrictions on domestic travel apply at Levels 3, 4 and 5 of the Plan. At Level 5 of the Plan, people are asked to stay at home and to exercise within 5km of home. It is appreciated that these measures are difficult, but they have been put in place to protect public health.

A number of exemptions are provided, including for travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service; to attend education; to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products; to travel to attend disability day services; to travel to attend a court; for food shopping; to take school aged children to permitted training; for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people; for farming purposes; to attend a wedding or funeral and to visit a grave. In addition, those living alone or with a dependent adult may form a support bubble with one other household. This household can be outside the 5km limit. Further details are available here: .

The public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and it provides advice to Government in line with the current epidemiological position.

Details of Level 5 measure are available here: .

Current regulations and other Statutory Instruments related to the Covid-19 pandemic are available here: .

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1288. To ask the Minister for Health if the Covid-19 response team has been assembled; the make-up of the team by profession; if the team is active; if it has been called into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32937/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Residents of nursing homes are vulnerable because of their age, underlying medical conditions, the extent of their requirement for direct care involving close physical contact and the nature of living in congregated settings. Nursing homes have been particularly impacted by COVID-19 both in Ireland and internationally.

The central focus of the response to COVID-19 has been to control the spread of the virus in so far as possible to protect those who are most vulnerable from infection, as well as protecting against causes, situations, circumstances, and behaviours that may lead to the spread of COVID-19.

Sustained communication and interagency cooperation also remain central to the response to COVID-19. The State’s responsibility to respond to the public health emergency created the need for the HSE to set up a structured nursing home support system in line with NPHET recommendations.

This package of supports has been a critical intervention in supporting the resilience of the sector in meeting the unprecedented challenges associated with COVID-19. Guidance, PPE, staffing, serial testing, infection prevention and control training, accommodation and financial support have been provided to the nursing home sector, both public and private. In addition, multi-disciplinary clinical supports are in place at CHO level through 23 COVID-19 Response Teams, which were established earlier this year as well as outbreak control teams responding to outbreaks. I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy in relation to operational matters of the COVID-19 Response Teams.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1289. To ask the Minister for Health if he will respond to and clarify guidance on visitors to nursing homes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32939/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On Tuesday 15 September the Government published ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’. This Plan outlines our medium-term strategy for COVID-19 and sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outline the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. The Plan is designed to help everyone – individuals, families, organisations and sectors – to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures that might be introduced to contain transmission of the virus.

At Levels 3, 4 and 5 of the Plan, Long Term Residential Care Facilities visiting is suspended, aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.

HPSC guidance makes clear that 'window visiting' where a person stands outside and speaks to a person at safe distance through an open window or by telephone is acceptable at any Framework Level and during Outbreaks.

While people are asked to stay at home and exercise within 5km of home at Level 5, exemptions are permitted in a number of situations including for vital family reasons. This is provided for under Regulation 5 (2)(j) of SI 413 of 2020. This can include nursing home visits (including for window visits).

Further information on visiting safely can be found in the HPSC guidance: .