TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said “it is very possible” that Covid-19 could have been in Ireland last year or in early January of this year.

Speaking in the Dáil, he said future review of the data will give more detail.

He said it should not be presumed that the virus came here directly from China or from Italy.

There is some evidence that the virus was in France last year, he said, making reference to the country retro-confirming some cases in December.

He said this make sense due to the connections between France and China, mentioning frequent flights.

He said Ireland and France obviously have close connections also.

His comments come as the Department of Health has confirmed an error in a report published last Friday which recorded a death from coronavirus in a nursing home occurring as early as mid-February. 

A census of mortality across all residential care facilities in Ireland was carried out over the weekend of 18 April in order to gain a clearer picture of mortality in Ireland’s long-term residential care facilities. 

The report was published on the Department website on Friday last. 

A laboratory confirmed death in a nursing home was recorded as having occurred between 17 – 23 February, over one week before public health officials confirmed the country’s first case of Covid-19 and over one month before Ireland’s first confirmed death in a long-term residential care facility. 

The Taoiseach also confirmed today that the pandemic payment support of €350 per week will be extended beyond June. 

He also spoke about the government’s roadmap to lifting restrictions, and why Ireland is moving slower than other countries.

“I would rather have a plan that we accelerate if things go well, than one we might have to pause, or draw out, or go back on, if they don’t,” he said.

Varadkar said he was encouraged to see Germany has not had a re-surge while lifting its restrictions.

The government is open to hearing from businesses that think they may be able to open sooner, while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

He added that the curve had been flattened, and ICU numbers were moving towards 80. When Ireland introduced the lockdown there were 70 people in ICU. 

The Taoiseach also confirmed that Irish patients will be included in a treatment trial for Covid-19 along with other countries which are taking part.

On air travel, Varadkar said he is more optimistic than most, stating that he believes foreign travel will return by the end of the year.

Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin raised the issue of the Leaving Certificate, stating that the principle of equity needs to be dealt with as a matter of priority. He said many children do not have the same access to broadband and other resources as others. 

He said one solution might be adding extra places to third level colleges for these students stating that there will be a fall off in the number of students from abroad attending Irish colleges.