Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The measure of support put in place by the Government to help Irish people get through the Covid-19 crisis is unparalleled in the history of the State. The speed with which these measures were introduced is to be applauded. The response has been one of gratitude and relief. There is a real awareness among Irish people that citizens of many other countries do not have governments that are quite as willing or quick to help them at this time.

However, when new measures are introduced there can never be a one-size-fits-all package. Anomalies are to be expected. There will always be those who, due to their unique circumstances, may not initially appear to meet the specific criteria. There are borderline cases. My office has received numerous queries on cases where the applicants have been refused assistance. The people involved are genuinely in need of financial support and desperately need to have their specific cases examined. I am aware of the huge volume of work taking place in departmental offices at this time. Staff are snowed under with work. I place on the record my appreciation and thanks to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, which assists my office and other Members of this House on a daily basis with courtesy and co-operation.

I request that Department officials establish a group to examine all appeals for payments and deal with them expeditiously. We need a rapid appeals process to help identify genuine cases where applications may have fallen through the cracks.

The volume of applications for financial assistance over the past two weeks is unprecedented. It is inevitable that given this enormous volume of applications some people in genuine need of help may slip through the net. This cohort of people is deserving of our immediate attention and I am calling on the Department to respond to this need. I compliment the former Minister, Regina Doherty, and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection on the outstanding work they have done to help those in unexpected need at this time.

As health is also on today's agenda, I wish to raise my serious concern in respect of the delayed support by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, and the Health Service Executive, HSE, to private nursing homes across Tipperary. One of the chinks in our response to Covid-19 is the delay in intervention to assist nursing homes. Nursing homes have the explosive potential to spread the virus. In other countries, nursing homes and similar residential settings have become the weakest link in the chain in efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19. We cannot allow this to happen in Ireland.

I have been contacted by the management of nursing homes in Tipperary who are extremely worried about their ability to contain and cope with this virus. Some nursing homes across the country have been badly hit by the virus. I am aware of the very serious threat that exists already within a number of nursing homes. I am personally aware of residential units where residents are ill and a large number of staff, including nurses, health care assistants, catering and housekeeping staff and the maintenance teams, are unable to report for work as they are self-isolating. To avoid closure of these facilities, it is imperative that the HSE steps in to provide nursing and support staff. Also, there is an alarming lack of personal protective equipment available to nursing homes. They must receive a guaranteed supply of personal protective equipment. Staff must be protected. This needs to be addressed urgently.

Nursing homes are the places many of the most vulnerable people in our communities call home. They cannot be allowed to become dangerous places to live or work. Every possible effort must be made to source additional staff for nursing homes to cover for those lost through illness. If this does not happen, staff will refuse to go to work. They will refuse to risk their health or the health of their families. If this were to happen, nursing homes would have no alternative but to close and the consequences of this for our elderly and vulnerable people is unimaginable.

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