Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

For example, how many reported incidents were there of people catching MRSA or clostridium difficile or similarly highly infectious diseases? How many of the nursing staff complained about cross-infection within the unit? We heard a presentation from the community. Whoever made this decision, and I am not blaming or pointing fingers at anybody, made the decision to close down a community health facility where people go to die and the HSE is telling them not to worry about it as they can go to Waterford, Tipperary or Clonmel. People go to this place to die. We need community services, not forcing people into their cars to drive 60 km or 100 km to see the person who is dying. I am sure all of us in this room have at some stage a relative die in palliative care. It is a horrible experience and to add the burden of travel is simply unacceptable.

There are Deputies here from Tipperary and Kilkenny and I do not want to impede them. The Chairman has said no costings were done. Deputy Cahill also asked about costings. If no costings were done, it strikes me that a decision was made to close the hospital and the only thing was when would the HSE find the opportunity to do it. Along comes Covid, it was a question of clearing everybody out and before anybody could get back in, stripping out everything that would make it a safe to be. Is that a fair assessment?