Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
102. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health his plans for investment in testing tracing infrastructure and public health tracing teams in the coming weeks to ensure that when Ireland emerges from the current level 5 there will be the resources necessary to track down any new outbreaks of the virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33225/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has worked intensively over the last number of months to put in place a comprehensive testing and tracing operation. We now have standing capacity to test 120,000 people every week.
We are now able to conduct automatic testing of close contacts, serial testing in high risk environments and large-scale testing in outbreak situations. We are now proactively finding more cases than we would have previously.
As part of its ongoing process improvement, the HSE is currently running a nationwide recruitment campaign for swabbers and contact tracers, setting up temporary swabbing sites and making process improvements to the end-to-end test and trace system. Recruitment is a key focus. 500 additional contact tracers are being hired to provide standing capacity for contact tracing with 280 already in place and a further 60 - 70 being appointed on a weekly basis. A further 180 people have been appointed to date to carry out swabbing activities, whilst additional candidates are currently going through the compliance and interview process.
My Department continues to work with the HSE to improve turnaround times, consistency and our end-to-end testing pathway in general. This ensures the system is responsive to nature of the current and expected future demand for testing and tracing. Testing and contact tracing continues to be a key component of the Government’s response to the pandemic.
