David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We need to hear from the HPSC because we are hearing from HIQA that it can only account for unexplained deaths and cannot determine whether they were related to Covid. Next week, we need to hear from the HPSC. We need to get that information. Regarding the 39 nursing homes where there was very poor adherence to the regulations, we need to know whether there were higher levels of unexplained deaths in those nursing homes than in those where there was not. Those data should be available to us to determine whether the lack of enforcement and the failure to abide by regulations was a contributory factor to people having lost their loved ones. We have read the harrowing cases and the experience of the staff in this report, which has been accepted by HIQA. They deserve the truth. They deserve to know what happened. That is not about apportioning blame but establishing the facts. We need to hear from the HPSC. HIQA certainly has information in terms of unexplained deaths. Will HIQA provide the committee with a breakdown of the numbers of unexplained deaths in those 39 nursing homes and compare it in percentage terms to unexplained deaths in those that were abiding by the regulations? This will give us a clear picture of what happened. Can HIQA provide that to the committee now? If not, will it forward it to the committee?