Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We were told never again would residents in our nursing homes be abandoned like they were earlier this year. There is a situation in the west, however. I have spoken to the proprietor of that place. They have been begging in desperation for the HSE to help them for the past two days. They have not received that help. One nurse has been on call looking after 28 residents for 72 hours. Unfortunately, one of those residents passed away while others are being transported to hospital.

The Tánaiste might not know the individual details of this case. As Tánaiste and a former Taoiseach, will he tell me what systems are in place when an outbreak like this infects a large number of residents in a nursing home? What happens when a nursing home, pleading for help from the HSE for the past few days, only has one nurse and care assistant to look after all its residents, along with two other ancillary staff to prepare and serve food? What is going to be done? These residents, as the nurses have said in desperation, are somebody's father or mother. They need care from the State but it has abandoned them at their hour of need. What is going to be done?

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