Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Earlier, I spoke about the good work undertaken by front-line healthcare staff in our acute hospitals, the HSE and the Department, by the Minister, and by all of the other front-line workers. I recognise this work. Nonetheless, as many Deputies have said, there is a sector that is experiencing a major crisis, which is our nursing homes and congregated settings. I emphasise that I am very concerned that none of us in the House wants to raise the fears of those in nursing homes or their families, but if there is a place for questions to be asked it is surely here.

First, I ask the Minister to give a response to the comments by Dr. Jack Lambert, which many Members quoted, who spoke of the situation in the nursing homes as an emergency and a catastrophe in the making. He stated, and I thought this was a shocking statement to which I would like the Minister's response, that there is not a joined-up plan and that the nursing home patients are suffering, many of them dying and probably unnecessarily.

Second, while I recognise that many people in care homes are quite frail and vulnerable, some are not. Equally, in congregated settings throughout the country, while many residents have underlying conditions they are not essentially that different from the rest of the community at large. Members stated earlier that many families and individuals have real concerns about those in nursing homes receiving appropriate care. We have seen many examples of people in the community who are older surviving Covid-19. We had an 82 year old man walk out of Sligo University Hospital. In that context, and in terms of my second question, the HSE has told us that approximately 20% of those in the community who contract Covid-19 access hospital care. Can the Minister confirm, and I gave this question to the Minister a few days ago, the percentage of hospital admissions for those in nursing homes or congregated settings who have contracted Covid-19? I want to hear those figures because if we could get them they would back up the Minister's assurance that those in nursing homes have the same chances on a clinical basis of accessing healthcare as those in the community.

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