I remember it well.

We need to watch the clock to make sure that the Minister does not overstay the two hours again this week-----

I am very concerned because I would have been a close contact according to the Minister's logic.

I am glad to hear it. I have two sets of questions and would appreciate it if we could block them into two sets of five minutes each. We have been promised the HSE's roadmap on numerous occasions. It is late at this stage. Will it be published tomorrow? This is singularly the most important issue in Ireland now, without a shadow of a doubt. It is more important than anything else. We need to get services back up and running. Surely the Minister knows when the plan is going to be published. Everything relating to no…

There are 35 people on trolleys in Limerick as I speak.

What communications and meetings took place in respect of the roadmap and the parameters NPHET set for the HSE? The HSE can only work within the parameters set by NPHET. For example, 2 m instead of 1 m would have a significant impact on any roadmap. Dr. Anthony O'Connor, who the Minister knows quite well, appeared before the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response. He stated that because the Minister made a political decision to get rid of the private hospitals, there is a backlog of over 1 million people waiting. T…

The two remaining questions were around the vaccine and the reason the Government went against the HSE's position in regard to private hospitals.

It is a very strange that the CMO would say that.

That is hardly a massive number.

I do not wish to labour this point but there are two issues. The first relates to how we conduct our business based on the guidelines. I know the advice is that every workplace is different but look at the size of this place. This is ridiculous. I raised these concerns last week with the Taoiseach and the Ceann Comhairle, and I wrote to the Taoiseach, although I have not yet got a response. I want to raise a broader issue-----

Yes, I did and I will reply to it, which I know the Ceann Comhairle will look forward to. We have certain conditions in the Chamber that we do not expect workers or employers throughout Ireland to mirror. The Labour Party and I have a deep concern about whether a dangerous precedent is being created. Within these conditions, we could be working like this for a considerable period, and the likelihood is that we will be. The precedent set last week by the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, will now be pushed on this…

This is not about public health advice.

That is not accurate.

This week we reached a major milestone on Monday. I congratulate everybody – all the workers - for all their hard work. I hope the trajectory will continue in this way in terms of the volume of deaths and the volume of cases. I have a number of questions for the Taoiseach today to which I would appreciate his response. I will allow enough time for him to respond to the individual questions. However, before I start I wish to make a plea to the Taoiseach. I have never come into this House and stressed something as pa…

I thank the Taoiseach and ask him now to answer the rest of the questions. I refer to the issues relating to the roadmap for intellectual disabilities, section 38 and section 39 organisations, antibody testing and whether he will bring forward a cross-reference group to help us come out of the roadmap. There were four different questions.

I jest that I was not to raise UHL, only that I have heard so many promises in relation to it. The fact is it is the most discriminated hospital in Ireland. The region is discriminated against, with the lowest amount of beds, consultants, nurses etc. The plan, not only the beds, needs to happen. The Minister complimented Ms Colette Cowen and Dr. Gerry Burke and I thank him for doing so. The Minister might also wish the same Dr. Gerry Burke, probably the most publicly-oriented clinical aide I have ever met in my lif…

As long as the Minister allows time for all the questions.

Had the correlation been considered?

Not all of them.

Will the Minister publish it?