Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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With regard to safe models of staffing, the trauma that staff working in nursing homes and right across the board experienced is accepted and acknowledged by the witnesses, some of whom I know are clinicians with a significant amount of experience. The level of deaths in the nursing home sector was significant. These are private sector workers, not public sector workers. Is there a proposal from the Department or the HSE to offer these people some kind of meaningful support as they head back into another winter?

Mr. Walsh alluded to the safe staffing model which has been agreed by the INMO. There is a recommendation that there be a review of the terms of conditions. This is to be carried out by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I will not hold my breath on that. In the short term, would the model agreed with the INMO be easily adaptable in terms of safe staffing? Would a whole new model need to be agreed? If so, how long would that take?