Written answers

Thursday, 25 March 2021

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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240. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department was involved in the development of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with Covid-19; if Ireland’s application to the EU recovery and resilience facility will include actions to support the recovery of the health service following the Covid-19 pandemic and improve the future resilience of the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16243/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the development of ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’, took cognisance of and was informed by NPHET advice provided over the months preceding the publication of the Plan in September 2020. In particular, the NPHET held two discussions on 3rdand 10thSeptember 2020 which led to the development of a draft 5 Level ‘Framework for Restrictive Measures in Response to COVID-19’. On 11thSeptember, the NPHET attached the draft Framework for Restrictive Measures to its letter to me, for consideration as part of the development of the Government's Plan. These letters are available online: .

There was also engagement with the Department of Health and the HSE regarding the implications of the response to COVID-19 for the health service which also informed the Plan for Living with COVID-19.

Ireland is developing a National Recovery & Resilience Plan (NRRP) for approval by the European Union.  The Plan will set out the reforms and investments to be supported by the Recovery and Resilience Facility and will be submitted to the European Commission no later than 30 April 2021. 

I understand that the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, working together with the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, is responsible for the preparing the Plan with input from other Departments as necessary, and for ensuring coordination across Government.

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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241. To ask the Minister for Health if persons in mandatory hotel quarantine will be required to take daily exercise only on the campus of the hotel and not in the surrounding public area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16244/21]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Guests who are undergoing mandatory quarantine at a designated facility will not be permitted to leave the facility and so can take exercise either in their room or in the designated outdoor area provided.This will be a safe, secure space within the precincts of the facility.

All facilities in the mandatory quarantine system have a designated outdoor area on site which guests will be allowed to use on a scheduled basis up to three times daily, subject to their having received a negative result in their initial RT-PCR test. Additional time will be available to families with children should they request it.

Guests using the outdoor area will do so under the supervision of security staff who will escort guests to and from the area to promote adherence to the infection prevention and control protocols which underpin the mandatory quarantine system.

For persons who are unable to leave their room due to quarantine protocol restrictions, or do not wish to make use of the outdoor area, the service provider has also developed and supplied guided exercise programmes which can be undertaken in a guest's room as well as a number of other health and wellbeing initiatives to support guests' physical and mental wellbeing.

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