Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is little doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed some of the issues regarding how we take care of the weaker in society, in particular the elderly. At one stage, much was made of the differing death rates between Ireland and the UK, where the use of nursing homes is more widespread, and places like Spain and Italy, where it is more common for multiple generations of the same family to reside together. Needless to say, the comparison eventually fell foul of the rising case numbers, and while heroic efforts were made by staff and others to keep the virus out of nursing homes, many eventually succumbed to the awful reality of the virus. I understand that half of the deaths occurred in nursing homes.

The Oaklands Nursing Home in Listowel made national headlines during the second wave when the virus found its way in from the community. HIQA previously expressed concerns in the lead-up to the outbreak. I believe what happened in Oaklands and in other nursing homes must be part of a public inquiry into the State's response to Covid-19. While there is a place for good, private operators, the outsourcing of elder care to private operators has caused problems. The HSE should have more of a role. When problems emerged in private nursing homes they called on the HSE for assistance. I pay tribute to all healthcare workers, but especially to the ones in the Cork-Kerry community healthcare area, who rolled up their sleeves, went into places and sorted out the problem, putting their own lives at risk.

I would also like to see a review of how elder care is provided generally across the country, including a review of HIQA. It is clear that there is significant demand from families to get their loved ones into a HSE-run nursing home in County Kerry, in particular in north Kerry, where there is no HSE-operated home. I reiterate my call for the HSE to commit to the provision of a new community nursing home in north Kerry.

We also need to change radically how we provide and fund these facilities. A public model is easier to regulate and, when we consider that 80% of all residents in private homes avail of the fair deal scheme, we are effectively operating a publicly funded model already. People requiring elder care are some of our most vulnerable and they deserve better.

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