Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Verona Murphy. I would also like to express our sincere condolences with the families that have been bereaved as a result of Covid-19 and I express our solidarity with people who are attending hospital.

Public representatives have both a duty and a responsibility to represent the needs of constituents when national policy is being discussed. On the criticism from some quarters of the Dáil sitting today, I believe my presence is required to speak to the needs of Waterford and the south east. Therefore, I make no apology for it.

Among the many recent concerns highlighted by the Minister for Health, increased emphasis has been placed on the management of our nursing home sector, where a large proportion of residents are deemed as vulnerable or as being at risk of contracting Covid-19. In the south east, for example, we have 66 private and voluntary nursing homes, managing more than 3,000 beds and employing more than 3,600 people. These health concerns face significant challenges in resourcing and in-patient management with respect to planning for Covid-19. Primary issues in this health emergency are the supply of PPE, the retention of staff - and most acutely in the south east nursing home sector - the extended delay in returning Covid-19 tests. This is placing inordinate pressure on managing patient isolation and staff well-being. Testing delays are contributing to the loss of healthcare personnel, who must self-isolate while they await confirmation of possible Covid-19 infection.

Happily for the south east, for the Minister and perhaps for the country, I can propose an immediate solution to this problem. The regional pathology laboratory for the south east at University Hospital Waterford provides all microbial testing for the south east region's hospitals. In addition, it provides 24-hour turnaround Covid-19 tests for hospital inpatients and staff on site. I ask the Minister to resource and direct University Hospital Waterford laboratory to undertake testing of all nursing home swabs in the region. This would immediately and dramatically improve turnaround times and offer significant relief to nursing home managers and caregivers. I also ask that for the duration of this emergency, the Department of Health allows oxygenators to be placed with nursing home managers without the requirement of sign-off from a hospital consultant so that, where necessary, nursing homes can provide appropriate and immediate palliative care to those requiring it.

I also ask the Minister to direct human resource departments in the HSE not to seek or target recruitment of health care workers working in nursing homes and community nursing units.

In addition to nursing homes, and the challenges they face, we must also remember those working in the community and voluntary services. These healthcare professionals provide indispensable services to many families and individuals living with disabilities and special needs as well as practical and emotional support to family care givers. Section 39 care workers provide exactly the same services and shoulder the same, and often additional, care burdens as their section 38 counterparts yet they receive less support and remuneration from the State. This discrepancy in pay has led to a 25% turnover in employees in the community and voluntary services sector and there is also a challenge with recruitment. There must be pay parity across the services. The time is long past for the Minister to ensure there is equal pay and funding for this sector.

The Minister outlined his concerns about the potential for cross infection between healthcare workers sharing accommodation. Given the availability of university residences in our largest cities, perhaps the Minister could prevail on the educational institutions to shoulder some burden and make accommodation available to healthcare personnel thereby reducing risk of contamination and cross infection.

Beyond this, the Oireachtas must look forward and consider the rehabilitation of our national economy and the HME sector which faces a slowdown that cannot be allowed to cause stagnation. Our economic future cannot continue to be charted by a caretaker Administration. I urge the leadership of the main parties to renew efforts to form a Government so that new economic planning can begin. In light of the current challenges, the voters have the right to see the leadership shown by our front-line healthcare services reflected here. They have the right to question politicians on the delay in serious engagement on Government formation and they have the right to expect a renewed national programme and commitment to our most precious resource, namely our people. Duty calls, and some are ready and willing to answer that call.

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