Before proceeding with the debate, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine has informed the Ceann Comhairle that he wishes to make a personal explanation to the House pursuant to Standing Order 56.
Personal Explanation by Minister
This is the opportunity to correct the record of the House regarding my contribution to statements on the level 5 response to Covid-19, which took place on Friday, 23 October, here in the convention centre. I previously referred to this matter at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Marine and I want to comment on it again now. On the date in question, I took the opportunity to update the House on a notice issued by my Department for the hand sanitiser product, ViraPro. I indicated that preliminary results from samples taken between 30 September and 2 October were received in my Department on 8 October. However, I am now aware that these preliminary test results were, in fact, received by my Department on 6 October. I wanted to make sure that the record was correct in this regard. I wanted to bring that correct information, which has come to my attention in the interim, to the attention of House in order to ensure that the record is corrected. I thank the Ceann Comhairle and his office for their assistance in the matter.