Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. It has been a difficult 11 or 12 months for staff in nursing homes and I pay tribute to them. It has also been a difficult year for residents and their families, especially for residents who were used to regular visits from families or those who might have large families.

Mr. Daly mentioned that staffing is the predominant emergency. He also mentioned the significant progress in reducing processing times for the atypical working visa for non-EEA nurses. What are the turnaround times and how have they improved? Which countries in particular are providing most of the valuable nurses and care staff? What more can be done in this regard? Has the job situation resulted in an increased interest by people in this country to work in care homes?