Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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175. To ask the Minister for Health if there is evidence that Ireland has learned to manage the medical progress of Covid-19 in vulnerable populations since spring; and the way in which it is influencing policy for managing the virus [33392/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 which was published by the Government, 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 several 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.

Prevention and suppression of the disease in the community is the critical first step to protecting vulnerable groups but specific measures also need to be in place. Keeping the number of cases of COVID-19 as low as possible in the community provides the greatest protection to those who are most vulnerable from the severest impacts of this disease. This is continues to be crucial at the present time given that we remain without effective drug therapies or vaccines with which to respond to COVID-19. As such, preventing people becoming infected is still the most effective tool available to deal with COVID-19.

The Government has already identified the high-risk conditions and places where COVID-19 spreads most easily as well as the groups of people who are most likely to be affected and are most vulnerable to the disease. We continue to ensure implementation of the existing measures and will advance additional measures to prevent spread in these high-risk areas.

We are aware that older people, particularly those who are medically compromised or frailer are at severe risk for poorer outcomes from COVID-19, and that congregated settings such as long-term residential care facilities have been severely impacted.

Earlier this year, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) recommended the establishment of an Expert Panel on Nursing Homes to examine the complex issues surrounding the management of COVID-19 among this particularly vulnerable cohort. The Report of the COVID-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel includes 86 recommendations in total, over 15 thematic areas, with associated timelines for implementation over the short, medium and long term.

I have established an oversight structure 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. I can advise the Deputy that there is a key focus on the implementation of recommendations that require immediate action to ensure ongoing preparedness as we move into the winter months.

One of the key recommendations of the Expert Panel is the continuation of the range of enhanced supports to nursing homes including:

- Provision of staff accommodation

- Support to nursing homes through 23 HSE COVID-19 Response Teams

- Provision of PPE free of charge to nursing homes

- Provision of a suite of guidance and expert support, including clinical and infection prevention and control expertise

In line with the recommendations (1.1 and 1.2) of the Expert Panel, these enhanced supports, which were recommended by NPHET at the end of March, continue to be implemented and will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Prevention and management of outbreaks in vulnerable populations and high-risk settings is an ongoing priority. Outbreak management in these settings is a priority for public health and is overseen by the National Outbreak Control Team who provide regular reports to NPHET.

Serial testing of nursing home staff, and certain high-risk settings and groups such as meat factories is in place to protect the vulnerable and ensure early identification and interruption of transmission in such high risk settings.

Using their experience to date of the virus, relevant Departments (e.g. the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, as well as my own Department) in collaboration with the relevant agencies continue to update plans to protect the most vulnerable so as to align with the escalation framework set out in Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19.

The aim is to ensure specific measures are targeted to people living within particularly vulnerable communities, for example among the Homeless, and in Traveller and Roma communities. These measure include making available adequate public health supports to reduce risk, protect vulnerable residents and make accommodation available for those who may be required to self-isolate and lack appropriate facilities to do so. Local authorities are also continuing to work with the HSE to ensure the safety of households accessing emergency accommodation.

Extensive guidance for medically vulnerable and other vulnerable groups has been produced by the HPSC and can be found at .