As I said in my statement, after I spoke to the CMO, the Taoiseach and I spoke. After speaking with the CMO after the NPHET meeting, which was the second time I spoke to him that day and was the first time level 5 had ever been mentioned to me or anyone else in the Government, I then spoke to the Taoiseach that evening.

I will answer the Deputy's questions in full. He described what happened over the weekend as an absolute calamity. It is important that the Irish people hear a different response to that, if I may. NPHET met on Thursday and made a recommendation to Government to stay at level 2. On Saturday, the Chief Medical Officer was talking to various people. He decided to call NPHET together on Sunday. He informed me and I informed the Taoiseach. The Chief Medical Officer and I spoke before the meeting. I spoke to him on Sund…

I do not know who leaked a letter. I do not know who it was leaked to. The Deputy says it was leaked that night. Perhaps it was. What I know is that RTÉ reported about level 5 on the news at 9 p.m. I do not think it got into detail as to what was in the letter so I do not know if RTÉ had the letter. It is possible that RTÉ was simply told that it was level 5. Remember that we strive to publish these letters as quickly as possible. I have in my bag this evening's letter from the Chief Medical Officer. He and I met b…

The Deputy is in politics, as we all are. Who leaked things and where is unfortunately not something I know but I share the Deputy's frustrations. The Cabinet committee on Covid met with Dr. Holohan, Professor Nolan and Dr. Glynn at 12 noon the next day. We moved quickly. I share the Deputy's frustration about the sense of fear on Sunday night.

With the greatest respect-----

No. I do not know how we define anyone associated with me. I can speak for myself. Neither I nor anyone who works for me leaked that letter.

No, that is not what we said.

We did not say they did not change. They changed.

There had been an increase. There is exponential growth.

I want to be clear. The Deputy seems to be suggesting that the advice warranted a move to level 5.

The Deputy wrote to the Taoiseach on Monday, encouraging him not to move to level 5. We are clear about that. I was not expecting a recommendation to move to level 5. We had a recommendation on Thursday, when NPHET had carefully considered-----

-----the epidemiological situation. It recommended that Dublin and Donegal remain at level 3, with the rest of the country remaining at level 2.

The Deputy will appreciate that if we get a recommendation on Thursday evening to keep the country at level 2, neither I nor, I imagine, any Member in this House, would expect a recommendation three days later to move to level 5. I was waiting to see what NPHET said. While having the greatest of respect for NPHET and its expertise, I was taken aback by the recommendation to move to level 5.

I would not presume to expect anything. I am not a public health doctor. NPHET has the public health experts so all I would expect of NPHET, which is what it did, was to provide me and the Government with its best assessment of the public health position. That is what it did and it is what we all expect of NPHET. I certainly would not presume that NPHET would do one thing or another; it is entirely for NPHET to decide.

I would not presume to speak for the Tánaiste, who is more than capable of speaking for himself. He answered exactly these questions earlier in this Chamber. The substance of the Deputy's question is whether it was a surprise to me to get a level 5 recommendation on Sunday evening. It was a surprise. For the various reasons I outlined in the speech, we chose to go with level 3. The Deputy is asking whether I or my Cabinet colleagues were surprised by a recommendation to go to level 5. Yes, we were.

I will get to the second question and send the Deputy a detailed note on travellers, if she agrees.

No, but I will get the Deputy a note on that. On the idea of an all-party forum, I am very open to any forum of engagement. I was asked to be here tonight and I am here. I have appeared before the Covid-19 committee several times.

Real work can be done in here as well and in a collaborative way. I have seen it happen. On a serious note, I am open to any suggestions the Deputy has. Neither I nor the Government nor any government in the world has a monopoly on how to respond to this virus. Everyone in this Chamber has something to say and I am very open to meeting the Deputy and other Deputies. The more input we can get from the Oireachtas, the better.

The Deputy is raising it now and I am telling her I am very open to meeting others.

The Deputy said she raised it with the Taoiseach but I cannot speak for him. The Deputy is raising the matter with me now and I am saying I would love to have as much input as possible on a cross-party basis. I fully agree that the more solidarity we have in facing this down, the better.