Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely, I will allow time for all the questions. What I wish to say in this regard is important. I would like these documents to be shared with the Covid committee. I am aware the Deputy asked for the documents concerning Nursing Homes Ireland and the Department. I would have thought it important for the Deputy to have the documents involving the Department and HIQA also. That is quite important; it is actually more important.

On 13 March, HIQA wrote to the Department of Health about 19 HSE nursing homes that had been identified as having multi-occupancy rooms, which created challenges for infection prevention. This was sent on to the HSE. Dr. Colm Henry, Mr. David Walsh and other really good people in the HSE were doing work, recognising that multi-occupancy rooms make it harder to contain the spread of the virus, as the Deputy can imagine. HIQA did that. I believe there is a lack of clarity in one respect; on 31 March, NPHET asked HIQA if it would assess all nursing homes for risk. NPHET made this request of HIQA, which is represented on NPHET, if that makes sense. HIQA carried out this assessment. It produced a document of two and a half pages which I have here and which we will publish. I will not read it all because I will not then be able to answer other questions. One part of it said that in the context of managing the Covid-19 outbreak, HIQA estimated that 124 public and private nursing homes, out of a total of 580 nursing homes, would potentially need some level of additional support. This list was shared with the HSE. In addition, the provider was mandated to report any Covid-19 outbreak to the chief inspector and to share an updated status report to include a risk assessment with the HSE each morning. The Deputy should have time to read this document and can then come back with further questions but that is the status with regard to HIQA-----

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