Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Last week when we discussed the nursing homes the Minister reassured me that citizens in nursing homes were not being treated differently from other citizens. I am not yet reassured and I remain unreassured, if that is the right term. According to the latest figures from the NPHET, there have been nearly 600 deaths in nursing homes. I noted in today's debate that the Taoiseach stated there are obvious difficulties in nursing homes and sometimes medical directors, perhaps not even a GP or a medically qualified person, may be present. That is in contrast to the reassurance the Minister gave me last week. Accordingly, I want to ask the Minister again, who is making the decisions not to move acutely sick residents to a hospital setting. The question remains about the type of treatment that is available in nursing homes and whether it is equal to the type of treatment available in a hospital setting. I refer in particular to an article in The Irish Timeson Monday concerning a memo from Professor Michael Barry of the HSE on the prescription of an antibiotic called azithromycin. I am sure the Minister knows the article. He said we must be careful about prescribing the antibiotic in community settings to ensure the safe use of the agent itself and the continuity of supply. There is a global shortage of this antibiotic. Which is more important - the safe use of the agent or the continuity of supply? If that agent is administered in hospital settings, why is it not available in nursing homes? It seems to me that the statement about nobody being left behind does not tally with that fact.

My second question to the Minister relates to direct provision, which we also discussed last week. I said at the time that I believed this could turn into our next catastrophe after nursing homes. We all saw on the news last night the terrible scenes from Cahersiveen where the occupants of a direct provision centre were screaming to be taken out of there because they believed it was highly infected. They were correct because when they were moved from a Dublin centre on St. Patrick’s weekend, there was at least one case in the centre in which they previously resided, yet I understand they were all moved without having been tested and now there are multiple cases in Cahersiveen. In last week's debate the Minister said to me that there would be 19 response teams across the country, led by senior nursing supports, to assist nursing homes and long-term residential care facilities. Will he now send such response teams into direct provision centres and ensure those who are seeking to be moved out of them will be moved out? I know it is the responsibility of the Department of Justice and Equality, but it is also the responsibility of the Department of Health to ensure people receive the right treatment and that any clusters in direct provision centres receive the same treatment response as the Minister promised for nursing homes.

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