Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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1408. To ask the Minister for Health the reason that the contract tracing system is being centralised to HSE headquarters in central Dublin; if he will consider decentralising the contact tracing system to an area outside of Dublin in which workers would find more affordable accommodation and ease commuter congestion in the capital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29041/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Changes to COVID-19 testing and tracing as part of the overall transition arrangements for the pandemic were approved by the Government in February 2022. There is no longer a public health rationale or need for extensive testing, case finding and tracing of infection to reduce COVID-19 transmission. The focus now is on mitigation of the severe impacts of COVID-19 for those most vulnerable to the disease and those with risk factors who may benefit from specific interventions. Full details of the current public health advice are available on the website of the HSE at www.hse.ie.

The HSE is working to implement this advice which will invariably lead to consolidation of resources in fewer centres around the country as the HSE moves through transition phases of the testing and tracing programme in the months ahead. The arrangements with regard to individual test centres is a matter for the Health Service Executive, and I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly in this regard, as soon as possible.