Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome all of our witnesses and wish to acknowledge the fantastic work of the healthcare workers and their families. I also wish to send my condolences to all of those families who have lost loved ones. It has been a very difficult year for so many people. A lot of the questions I wished to ask have already been answered but I have one or two questions on the increase in the number of outbreaks in nursing homes during this third wave. This has really alarmed the relatives of nursing home residents. They fear that there will be delays in vaccination because it is not possible to vaccinate nursing home residents when the level of the illness is so high. This is a terrifying prospect for elderly residents and their families. I seek clarification on whether residents who do not display symptoms and test negative for Covid-19 can be moved off-site to be vaccinated.

Most of us will be aware of the nursing home in County Galway that has issued an appeal for qualified nurses to help it to fight a serious outbreak of Covid-19. It is heartbreaking to hear that the outbreak has taken the lives of 12 residents and that 35 out of 49 residents have tested positive for the disease. Perhaps Dr. Kennelly could outline to us the situation with regard to providing qualified nurses for facilities like the nursing home in Galway when they are engaged in an enormous battle with Covid-19. It all seems to boil down to staffing levels and what we can do about them. One of the main issues arising from today's presentations is the lack of staff and that is something we must focus on going forward.