There are 660 people on trolleys in hospitals throughout our country, with 1,338 people in hospital suffering from Covid of whom 61 are in intensive care, which is up by 24 in the past ten days. Will the Tánaiste support the calls of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, for an emergency to be declared in our hospital system? Will the Government look at measures, including the curtailment of non-emergency elective surgery and other Covid mitigation measures, such as increasing mask-wearing in crowded settings?

I think a national emergency in relation to hospitals was declared about 20 or 30 years ago. I do not think it would provide a solution in itself but I absolutely acknowledge that our hospitals are under enormous pressure at the moment. It is not only because of Covid. There is also the bank holiday effect and there is also deferred demand. We would expect the numbers awaiting admission to fall tomorrow and the day after. It may well be necessary for hospital groups to listen to the INMO's call and restrict non-elective activity for the next couple of days or weeks in order to reduce the level of over-crowding now being experienced.

The message from the Government on wearing masks is very much in line with public health advice. It is advised on public transport, in healthcare settings and also crowded indoor spaces. We do not propose to make it a criminal offence again not to do so.