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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020

Wednesday, 3 June 2020

Ceisteanna (662)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

662. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if there is a written process for issuing Covid-19 sector-specific guidance by agencies (details supplied). [9151/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In line with its Terms of Reference, the role of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is to oversee and provide direction, guidance, support and expert public health advice across the health service and the wider public service, for the overall national response to Coronavirus, including national and regional and other outbreak control arrangements, consider the most up to date national and international risk assessments, direct the collection and analysis of required data and information and review on an on-going basis the situational analyses and evaluation using reports received, expert advice and  international guidance.

The advices of the NPHET are communicated by letter to the Minister for Health for consideration, and these advices are used to assist Government in informing its decisions in responding to the public health emergency.  Furthermore, the NPHET communicates to the HSE and HPSC by letter following its meetings. 

The NPHET’s processes are set out in its Governance Document which can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/de1c30-national-public-health-emergency-team-nphet-for-covid-19-governance-/.

The Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business, published on 1 May 2020, sets out an indicative path to the easing of COVID 19 restrictions and other actions in order to facilitate reopening  Ireland’s society and economy in a phased manner. The Roadmap specifies that decisions in relation to which actions will be taken and which public health measures might be lifted will be made in accordance with the Framework for Future Decision-Making which is as follows:

1. Before each Government consideration of the easing of restrictions, the Department of Health will provide a report to the Government regarding the following on/off trigger criteria:

a. The latest data regarding the progression of the disease,

b. The capacity and resilience of the health service in terms of hospital and ICU occupancy,

c. The capacity of the programme of sampling, testing and contact tracing,

d. The ability to shield and care for at risk groups,

e. An assessment of the risk of secondary morbidity and mortality as a consequence of the restrictions.

2. It will also provide risk-based public health advice on what measures could be modified in the next period.

3. The Government would then consider what restrictions could be lifted, having regard to the advice of the Department of Health as well as other social and economic considerations, e.g. the potential for increased employment, relative benefits for citizens and businesses, improving national morale and wellbeing etc.

4. It is acknowledged that there is also an ongoing possibility that restrictions could be re-imposed and this process will be carried out on an ongoing basis once every 3 weeks.

As is clear from the framework, it is the Government rather than I or my Department that will decide on any modifications to the current public health measures in place and those decisions will be informed by the status of the on/off trigger criteria and the public health advice received at the time that a decision is being made. Guidance in relation to business activities in specific sectors of the economy will be provided by the Government Department with responsibility for that sector.

The development of guidance by the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) are operational matters for the HSE and I have referred this part of the question to the HSE for answer and direct reply.

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