Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tá dhá cheist agam, ceann amháin i nGaeilge agus ceann amháin i mBéarla. Baineann an ceann i nGaeilge leis na coláistí samhraidh. Thug mé fógra don Taoiseach go raibh mé chun an cheist seo a ardú. Tá a fhios aige go bhfuil cinneadh déanta ag an Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta nach mbeidh na coláistí samhraidh ag dul ar aghaidh an samhradh seo. Tuigeann na mná tí agus na coláistí samhraidh é sin agus ar a laghad tá cinnteacht ann anois.

Is é an rud a chuir isteach ar an earnáil agus ar na mná tí seo go raibh an fógra lom agus gan aon tuiscint ar cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an earnáil seo do na Gaeltachtaí ar fud na tíre nó ar na freagrachtaí atá ag an Rialtas don Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge agus faoin bplean gníomhaíochta a eascraíonn as an straitéis sin.

Fiafraím den Taoiseach an mbeidh sé sásta a rá go dtiocfaidh sé ar ais le sonraí ó thaobh pacáiste tarrthála don earnáil seo agus an fód a sheasamh i ndáiríre ar son na ndaoine seo mar tá rud difriúil i gceist anseo. Is é seo an chéad uair riamh a bheidh na coláistí samhraidh ar ceal. Níor tharla sé sin riamh roimhe laistigh de chéad bliain.

Sa bhreis air sin, tagann an earnáil seo faoi rialacha an Rialtais agus is é an rud is tábhachtaí an méid daoine agus gnóthaí atá ag brath ar an earnáil seo. Is croílár na nGaeltachtaí iad na coláistí samhraidh. Tá a fhios againn i bhfianaise a leochailí is atá an teanga agus na Gaeltachtaí, mar go háirithe bhí clár ar TG4 aréir - beidh an dara clár ar siúl an tseachtain seo chugainn - a chuir in iúl a leochailí is atá stádas na nGaeltachtaí. An féidir leis an Taoiseach mar sin teacht ar ais le sonraí ar phacáiste tarrthála atá práinneach?

I will zone in on nursing homes. The Taoiseach said that the real enemy is complacency. For me, the real enemy is us, as Deputies, thinking that we could rely on the narrative coming from this institution and other institutions. If experience has taught us anything, it is that we should never rely on the formal narrative. The real danger is that we would fail to learn - as has been stated previously by my colleague to my left - and that we simply cannot go back to where we were. We must learn.

On one level, this virus knows no bounds but, on another, there has been no equality in the way people have been treated. I had a quick look at the position relating to nursing homes with the help of the people who work with me and to whom I must pay tribute. This pandemic was declared on 11 March. When it was declared, it was accompanied by the comment that the virus was spreading so rapidly, the WHO had no choice but to declare a pandemic. The delay on the part of various governments in taking action was commented on. That was on 11 March. On 17 March, the Taoiseach travelled to the US. Less than five days later, there were four clusters in nursing homes but there was no action plan. On 24 March, there were clusters in nursing homes but there was no action plan. On 27 March, there were clusters in nursing homes but there was no action plan. I forgot to mention 26 March and other dates.

Finally, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, met representatives of nursing homes. It seems to me that nursing homes were utterly forgotten. To my horror, an expert from Trinity College Dublin told me that the issue in nursing homes had crept up on us. That captures my horror and upset. The real danger is that of losing the ability to feel upset at the level of deaths in nursing homes and residential centres, not to mention direct provision. Why were nursing homes not top of the list from day one? Why was action not taken and why is it not being taken in respect of direct provision centres, given that official briefing papers indicated an analysis was being carried out by the various local health organisations?

On private hospitals, as I drove to Leinster House today I heard that 75% of capacity in the two private hospitals in Galway is not being used. The State is paying €150 million a month to private hospitals. I ask that Deputies be given a copy of the contract with those hospitals.

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