Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Berry. It is good to have his expert opinion as well.

In relation to that scheme, it will open tomorrow. The CEO of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, had a conversation with the head of Nursing Homes Ireland this week anyway in that regard but it will open tomorrow. I thank Deputy Berry for bringing that up.

In relation to St. Fintan's, Portlaoise, I can only begin to imagine the horrific tragedy and upset that people, including staff, are experiencing there. When one is dealing with long-term facilities, a bond builds up with the residents in one's care. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of them.

I wish, on the record of this House, to take the opportunity Deputy Berry is providing me with to clarify that there is parity of access to personal protective equipment for all parts of the health and social care settings, regardless of whether it is a HSE setting. To be clear on that, there was a decision made by the national public health emergency team. In the interests of time, I will not repeat it. However, I read onto the record of this House a while ago the volume of equipment now being provided to the nursing homes and that more is due to arrive in the country, in terms of gowns, starting now, and another big order, starting from 18 April, of 1 million more gowns. We will continue to do everything we possibly can. I will have another teleconference with Nursing Homes Ireland tomorrow. I chair that teleconference now at least twice weekly with them to make sure that they are satisfied that there is progress at least being made in that regard.

On the issue of the fair deal scheme, obviously a pricing review has been done in respect of it. A number of proposals have been made by this House and by the current Government in respect of tweaking the fair deal scheme as well. Whether it is me or somebody else, I would expect an incoming Government to get on with that fairly quickly. I will not use up the Deputy's time by getting into this in too much detail but we will need a more fundamental conversation as well. I have huge respect for the work being done by nursing home owners and the staff but there is a piece missing in terms providing clinical care and making sure that the nursing homes are plugged into the integrated care system. As we move towards implementing Sláintecare, we have to get that right as well. I await the Deputy's next question.

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