Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also want to be associated with the comments expressing sympathy to those who have lost loved ones in nursing homes during Covid. I am thinking about them as they try to move forward.

The Covid-19 expert panel's report for the Minister for Health was released a couple of months ago. It stated only 10% of nursing homes invited actually submitted a written response. Members of the public had only one week within which to make a written submission. There were only 60 submissions from members of the public. Given the very strong public feeling about what has happened in nursing homes, that seems to be an extraordinarily small number. Can anyone offer any commentary on that?

Reference has been made to the need for a public inquiry. Do the witnesses think there has been a proper and deep reflection thus far on the situation in nursing homes with the Minister? Have members of the public had an opportunity to engage in that process? Have there been adequate opportunities for that thus far?