Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2021
830. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the details of the meetings, correspondence and engagements he and his officials have had with a group (details supplied); if he will specifically address the concerns outlined by the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11411/21]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that I have received correspondence from the group referred to in the question and that I also met with some members of the group last year.
Since the emergence of COVID-19, the Government has been guided at all times by the emerging scientific understanding of the virus and in particular has been in receipt of advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). The advice of NPHET is usually provided in the form of a letter to the Minister for Health from the Chief Medical Officer, in his role as the Chair of NPHET. This advice is subsequently published on the Government website. It has set out a consistent set of advices and recommendations that are available for inspection by all.
The clear advice from NPHET has been and continues to be that our overarching objective must be to suppress the virus to the lowest level possible and to maintain it at a low level. This is essential for protecting public health and our core priorities of education, health and social care services and shielding the most vulnerable from the disease.
