Ministers for Health establish the COVID-19 Advisory Group

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, and Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan, have today announced the establishment of a COVID-19 Advisory Group.

The group will advise the Minister for Health and Government on how best to maximise Ireland’s medium to long-term preparedness against SARS-CoV-2. The group will:

note the evolving epidemiological assessment of COVID-19, provided by the monitoring processes in place through the Office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
monitor new and emerging evidence with regard to existing technologies, practices and interventions for the detection and control of SARS-CoV-2
undertake horizon scanning, including internationally, such that new technologies, practices and interventions may be appropriately integrated into the public health response to any emerging SARS-CoV-2 threat
advise the Minister and Government on experiences in other countries and jurisdictions in relation to SARS-CoV-2, where there are implications and/or potential learnings or actions for Ireland
advise the Minister and Government on medium and long-term responses that may become necessary as part of the response to COVID-19

Since the last meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) for COVID-19, Ireland has transitioned from the emergency phase of the pandemic to a phase where the focus moved from regulation and population wide restrictions to public health advice, personal judgement and personal protective behaviours.

This new phase of Ireland’s response to COVID-19 requires an approach that is informed by national and international evidence, grounded in best public health practice, with a broad, multidisciplinary membership encompassing members with specific expertise and experience in areas of strategic and/or operational responsibility.

Minister Donnelly said:

"I am delighted to announce the COVID-19 Advisory Group and its membership today. This very excellent group includes a wide range of expertise. Our hospitalisations are falling at present, which is reassuring. However, COVID-19 remains a threat and there is no way to know for sure what lies ahead. We need to be prepared. The COVID-19 Advisory Group will make best use of national expertise, international data and evidence.

"I would like to thank the members of the group for volunteering their time and energy to Ireland’s ongoing response to this pandemic."

Minister Feighan said:

"COVID-19 created obvious challenges to our public health system. It is vital now that we use all of the expertise and evidence available to us to continue to protect our health service while also allowing us to respond to the any future risks COVID-19 may pose.

"I look forward to working with the COVID-19 Advisory Group as we move to this next stage of our collective response to COVID-19."

Notes

COVID-19 Advisory Group Members

Title	Name
Chair - Chief Medical Officer	Dr Tony Holohan
Chair of the AMRIC	Dr Eimear Brannigan
Assistant Secretary, Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division, Department of the Taoiseach	Elizabeth Canavan
General Practitioner	Dr Tadhg Crowley
Regional Director of Public Health	Dr John Cuddihy
Director, National Virus Reference Laboratory	Dr Cillian de Gascun
Deputy Chief Medical Officer	Dr Ronan Glynn
Head of Health Protection Division, DOH	Mr Fergal Goodman
Chief Clinical Officer, HSE	Dr Colm Henry
President RCPI	Prof Mary Horgan
Director, HPSC	Dr Derval Igoe
ESRI Behavioural Research Unit	Prof Pete Lunn
Consultant in Infectious Diseases	Prof Paddy Mallon
Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry	Dr Anne Moore
Chair of the IEMAG, Director General SFI	Prof Philip Nolan
Professor, Chair in Comparative Immunology	Prof Clíona O’Farrelly
Professor of Biochemistry and Immunology	Prof Luke O’Neill
Consultant Microbiologist	Dr Anne Rose Prior
Chair of the HIQA COVID-19 Expert Advisory Group	Prof Máirín Ryan
Professor of Physical Chemistry	Prof John Wenger

COVID-19 Advisory Group

the Chair of the COVID-19 Advisory Group will report on behalf of the Group to the Minister for Health
the Group will organise its work through regular plenary meetings, convened by the Chair
the Group, at its first meeting, will adopt its Terms of Reference and its full terms of engagement
the Group, should it be required, may organise its work through the establishment of sub-groups
in accordance with the ‘One Person One Salary’ principle, members will not receive any additional renumeration or allowance for their work on COVID-19 Advisory Group
the administration and support of the Group will be in accordance with the relevant aspects of GDPR and FOI legislation
in accordance with the principle of transparency, meeting documents and minutes will be made available in public at the appropriate time through the website of the Department of Health

Ministers for Health establish the COVID-19 Advisory Group

Notes

COVID-19 Advisory Group Members

COVID-19 Advisory Group

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