Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach stated last week that we had lessons to learn from Covid-19 regarding the safety of older people in nursing homes. He said we need to look at the policy of helping older people to live at home for longer. However, last year, the only new home help hours given were recycled hours which became available when a person died. No new home help hours were provided. This resulted in many people who were medically fit for discharge and were written up for a home care package remaining in acute hospitals for long periods or entering nursing homes prematurely. Does the Minister now agree that this Government policy which denied home help to many qualified persons was wrong and forced many people into nursing homes and put them at risk? Will this be looked at going forward?

The Irish Dental Association has pleaded for urgent assistance for patients who are unable to access either routine or emergency dental care. Dentists across the country are dealing with a catastrophic collapse in their practices and may not be able to reopen their surgeries even after this crisis has passed. They are, therefore, seeking the support of the Government to allow some temporary respite at this time of huge financial insecurity for the profession. Is any action planned to safeguard the future of the dental profession?

My final question is one I raised on 13 March and which has reared its ugly head again and is very worrying for people. I spoke on the last occasion about trawlers coming into Irish ports, specifically Castletownbere in west Cork, at that time. I expect the Minister knows there was confirmation of an outbreak of coronavirus among the crew of a trawler just days after it landed its catch in Castletownbere. The French flag-bearing and Spanish-owned fishing vessel which landed in Castletownbere 15 days ago has been quarantined in a Spanish port since Friday after more than half its 15-strong crew tested positive for coronavirus. The 32 m Notre Dame Cedeirais tied up in its home port in the north west of Spain after eight of its crew were confirmed as having the deadly virus. The vessel left its home port on 10 April to fish in Irish waters. It was among a fleet of some 40 Spanish vessels that spent several days in mid-April fishing in an area of the ocean approximately 40 nautical miles south west of Mizen Head. The vessel headed to Castletownbere to land its catch of mostly hake and monkfish and arrived on 21 April. It spent three hours tied up before setting out to sea again.

During that time the crew would have interacted with local agents, fork-lift drivers, truck drivers and fuel delivery workers. People in the fishing towns are concerned that after all their efforts to suppress the virus they could now be at risk arising out of the contacts from this vessel and the many other vessels that tie-up in Castletownbere. My question today is the same question I posed on 13 March. What, if any, checks or procedures are in place, similar to those which I am sure are in place in respect of Irish boats entering other jurisdictions, to ease the minds and fears of those who reside in the towns and villages of these ports, including the residents of Castletownbere, Dingle, Killybegs and the many other ports around Ireland?

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