Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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989. To ask the Minister for Health the engagement he has had with his counterpart in the UK in relation to the current Covid-19 surge and the impact of newly-detected variants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1295/21]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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990. To ask the Minister for Health the engagement he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland in relation to a co-ordinated approach to tackle Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1296/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 989 and 990 together.

There has been, and continues to be, significant engagement and cooperation between the Ministers for Health, the Chief Medical Officers, and the Departments of Health in Ireland and Northern Ireland throughout this pandemic.

The administrations are seeking to adopt similar approaches, where it is appropriate to do so and on the advice of respective Chief Medical Officers. This pragmatic approach is underpinned a Memorandum of Understanding agreed by the Chief Medical Officers of the Department of Health and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland in April 2020 to strengthen North South co-operation on the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, this overarching MoU was supplemented with a further MoU in relation to a framework for mutual support for the provision of critical care.

Meetings of the North South Ministerial Council are also an important pillar in our regular engagements with Northern Ireland counterparts on COVID-19.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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994. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which persons can volunteer their service to the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1306/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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996. To ask the Minister for Health if restrictions on travel from the place of residence under the new lockdown, including for travelling beyond general travel or distance restrictions, would prohibit parents of children with autism spectrum conditions from taking their children out to care for their general well-being and mental health; the extent to which the regulations may confine their ability to do this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1310/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, Ireland is currently at Level 5 of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19.

At Level 5, people are asked to stay at home as much as possible unless they have a "reasonable excuse" for leaving.

The regulations providing for these measures are set out in S.I. No. 701 of 2020. Regulation 4. of SI 701 sets out a non-exhaustive list of reasonable excuses for leaving one’s home. This non-exhaustive list includes at 4. (2) (k) to attend to vital family matters, including the provision of care to a vulnerable person.

I am grateful to the Deputy for bringing this important matter to my attention.