Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We note from the number of clusters and deaths from Covid-19 in the nursing home sector just how exposed that sector was and the tragic consequences that followed from that exposure.

At the height of the crisis, the sector's lack of preparedness was raised in the House on numerous occasions. We heard concerns raised by Nursing Home Ireland as early as the beginning of March, including concerns about safe and appropriate discharges from acute hospitals to nursing homes, about staff being recruited into the health service at the expense of the nursing home sector raising the risk that it would endanger older people, concerns about PPE, testing and so on. More information came into the public domain yesterday in The Irish Timesas a result of a freedom of information request. We learned that senior HSE officials privately raised major concern about coronavirus hitting nursing homes in March with one flagging their “totally inadequate preparation” and another saying it could be “the biggest live risk” facing the health service. We learned that agency staff were being supplied to nursing homes at double cost, where they were available. Safe Ireland has raised serious concerns about the care of the late Mr. Ultan Meehan, a nursing home resident from County Meath, after he was admitted to Connolly Hospital. The care home was unable to manage his care for a facial wound which became badly infected.

Will the Taoiseach commit to ensure that Mr. Meehan's wife, Mary, is given a full report? This could be undertaken by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, or the expert panel. The previous Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, established a Covid committee - an expert panel - to investigate the nursing home sector on 23 May. This expert panel was supposed to report by the end of June. Has it reported and, if not, when is this likely to happen? The temporary assistance payment scheme to nursing homes was amended by the Minister for Health last week. It reduces the overall amount. Is that because of an income-related reason? Is it funding or was there another rationale? If there is a rationale, will the Taoiseach provide it to the Dáil? Does he believe that clinical governance should remain the responsibility of the nursing home sector? If not, who should have responsibility and how quickly can it be put in place?

In Opposition, the Taoiseach was one of those who raised concerns about the nursing home sector. How concerned is he now about what is emerging in the public domain about the sector and how exposed it was? How satisfied is he that on his watch, the sector is fully prepared should there be another outbreak?

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