Special Committee on Covid-19 Response to discuss private hospitals and travel

Deputies will hold three separate sessions in the Dáil Chamber throughout the day with witnesses giving evidence from the Dáil Chamber and via video screen from Committee Room 1.

• Representatives from the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA)and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) will appear before the Committee to discuss the current use of private hospitals by the State, at 11am.
• The discussion on private hospitals will resume in the afternoon when officials from the Department of Health appear before the Committee, at 2pm.
• Officials from the Department of Health and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will appear before the Committee, to discuss travel restrictions on public transport and incoming and outgoing travel to and from the State, at 4.30pm.

Speaking before the meeting, Committee Chairman, Michael McNamara TD said: “We welcome the IHCA, IMO and Department of Health officials before the Committee to examine the public takeover of private hospitals and its overall impact on both patient care and healthcare workers.

“We will be examining current travel restrictions into and out of the country and as a growing number of people return to work we will be examining how the pandemic response is affecting public transport provision and capacity.”

Watch the Committee Live here.