Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the issue of seconding staff from the HSE into the private nursing home sector and the long-term residential care sector, will the Minister give an update on how many staff have been seconded? Last week I spoke to him about the need to put geriatricians and geriatric consultants in place, which he agreed was a good idea. The response from the HSE tells me this is not happening and that staff are visiting but not actually being seconded to work in a more permanent capacity. Will the Minister address that because I still think seconding is a good idea?

Will the Minister indicate what testing system is in place for people being transferred on discharge from hospital into nursing homes? A young man contacted my office yesterday whose mother tested positive for Covid-19 and was treated in hospital before, thankfully, becoming well enough to be released. However, she was not tested again before being returned to her nursing home. I ask the Minister again, and I would like a fairly short answer, whether or not - and, if so, when - the system of two tests before transfer started. I know it did not start at the very beginning of the crisis. My belief, as I have said previously to the Minister, is that an opportunity was missed in this regard. I am concerned that the two tests which should be happening, as was previously advised to me, are not actually happening in hospital prior to patients' transfer back to a nursing home.

I want to ask about the details of the catch-up programme for BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen. We know that thousands of those screenings have been missed. That was done for good reason and we fully accept the public health measure. However, there needs to be a catch-up programme, not just when the services restart but in such a way that it will catch those women who were due to have a smear test or mammogram in the normal course of things. We are also hearing from people that they are waiting months to get their screening results back, and again that will cause problems. I want to hear from the Minister whether the capacity has been sourced or will it be sourced to ensure there is not another backlog and we do not end up back where we were.

Will the Minister comment, if he can, on the letter that was issued by the local department of public health to residents in direct provision in the Skellig Star Hotel in Kerry? These residents are unable to follow social distancing requirements because they are all squashed in together and it is physically impossible to do so. The letter issued by the local department of public health, which I am sure the Minister is aware of as it got extensive media coverage, advised the people in direct provision that it was basically their own fault that they had contracted the virus. That is just not acceptable.

Last Friday, the Government announced a €35 million Covid-19 stability scheme for the wider community and voluntary sector.

Many in the sector have raised concerns that the grant size of between €20,000 and €100,000 is too small for some organisations. Some of those organisations are very large and provide a lot of services. The Minister will be familiar with them. Will he commit to engaging with stakeholders in the community and voluntary sector around grant size to ensure sufficient money is provided through grants to ensure continuity of service?

I will accept an answer to my next question in writing if the Minister can give it to me. What arrangements are in place for home helps to access PPE? People have contacted my office about this. I have spoken to those living in my area who I have bumped into, at a social distance, about this. In some instances they have been told that they do not need PPE and can just wash their hands. That is not acceptable. I spoke about this a couple of weeks ago. Many elderly people need home help, but are afraid to let those who provide it into their homes. It would help if these workers had access to PPE. Many, because of ideological reasons on the part of previous Governments, work for private companies and are not employed by the State, but they deserve State protection. I would like to hear the thoughts of the Minister on that.

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