Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 September 2020
217. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 239 of 22 July 2020, if a copy of the strategic plan for the longer term requirement for testing and tracing which he indicated would be submitted by the HSE in August 2020 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25932/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 Plan for Living with COVID-19 launched by the Government on 15 September 2020, commits the HSE to introducing a more accessible and sustainable testing service that will meet the demands coming into the Autumn/Winter months.
The HSE is now finalising the detailed future service model for testing and tracing. This service model will aim to deliver a patient-centred, accessible, consistent and flexible service. This plan includes the recruitment of a permanent workforce which has already commenced, and a range of other service improvements which will be rolled out quickly.
This is with an aim of delivering a more consistent service. The improvements which will be implemented will see the building of a dedicated workforce for Covid-19 Testing. The testing service will employ a 3,000 strong workforce. The HSE is currently recruiting over 700 people to take swabs and over 500 contact tracing staff all around the country. Both campaigns have been launched and the HSE is actively screening and interviewing candidates for immediate positions.
The HSE is also committed to the recruitment of up 150 permanent staff and other temporary staff to ensure there is capacity to deal efficiently and effectively with public health emergencies with scale and speed, both now and in the future.
