Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McNamara for the question. First, I take the point the Deputy makes in relation to young people but it is my duty to put on the record of this House that this is a virus which can be particularly severe for older people but to which young people are not immune. Indeed, yesterday in our country we had a 23 year old pass away from this condition. I know we all extend our sympathies to that individual's family.

On the issue of visitor restrictions in nursing homes and the comments made by the Chief Medical Officer, I fully support the Chief Medical Officer and the national public health emergency team in this regard. The rationale was that any decisions made in respect of restrictions in clinical matters should be made by clinicians and that we should have a co-ordinated national response in that regard. The Chief Medical Officer never said that visitor restrictions could not be put in place at hospitals or nursing homes, as appropriate, but was also balancing that view with the idea that many older people may have to go many weeks without ever seeing somebody else. The Chief Medical Officer was trying to get that balance right between compassionately ensuring people could see their families and relatives and protecting and safeguarding people. As Deputy McNamara will be aware, the national public health emergency team continuously kept this under review and did, indeed, put in place visitor restrictions. That is the body I follow in terms of public health advice and that is what it does.

While I met representatives of Nursing Homes Ireland in March, I would hate for people to think that was the first engagement we had with it. The CEO of the HSE met it to discuss Covid-19 in February and there was engagement at local level between many HSE personnel and nursing homes in January. I also engage with HIQA, which regulates nursing homes. I have a lot of time for Nursing Homes Ireland. It does a very good job and there has been much work going on this year.

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