Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. To be clear, I do not mean to underplay the HIQA report. We are taking it very seriously and have examined it in detail. The matters that HIQA has flagged are being taken seriously. I accept the Deputy's points on the various details in the report.

Regarding a public inquiry, we have the HIQA report. I have sought an additional HIQA report, which will essentially be the same piece of work but in respect of the other half of nursing homes, which are those that had Covid cases in them. We want to get that information quickly. In addition, I understand that I will get the expert review early next week. I have not seen it and I do not know what the recommendations will be, but my understanding is that there will be a comprehensive range of recommendations covering what has happened and what needs to be done to protect nursing homes in case of the second wave that the public health officials tell us is likely.

I suggest that there is a way for this to proceed. The HIQA report and the expert report will be published and I imagine we will have a session in the Dáil at that point. We could also have an informal session with Deputies, if that helped. It will then be a matter for the health committee, if it decides to look into this matter, to take on the HIQA and expert reports. It can run sessions specifically on nursing homes if it wants. Such sessions are held in public. It is a matter for the Oireachtas to choose whether it wants to kick something off. The Deputy is not suggesting that that should be it, but that there should be a wider inquiry into the issue. I suggest that we wait to see what is in the reports and to hear from the nursing homes, residents and people affected and then determine what the most appropriate course of action is. I am certainly not ruling anything out, but our focus right now has to be on ensuring that the nursing homes, residents and staff are protected. If there is a strong case for a further investigation of some description, we will look at doing so. I am keen to avoid, as, I am sure, the Deputy is, pulling a large number of people away from protecting nursing homes and into an inquiry in a way that could lead to them being exposed. Neither of us wants that.

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