Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

One of the weekend newspapers billed the Government's reopening measures as "going for broke". I sincerely hope that was not a pun and that the plan will succeed. I have been quite critical of some of the Government measures. The Taoiseach has never taken any responsibility for some of those measures and has always said it is because of Covid that this, that or the other has closed. On the other hand, he has said we have fared better than other countries. He has taken the credit but not the downside.

I have long argued that I would have preferred to see fewer restrictions on society and the economy generally and more targeted interventions. One area in particular that needed targeted interventions was the nursing home sector and, in fairness, the Government provided the temporary assistance payment scheme, TAPS, for the sector. However, we are learning now that in conjunction with the measures the Government is announcing, it is simultaneously taking away that temporary assistance to nursing homes. I accept that the scheme is temporary but, equally, it is essential. The threat in general has not subsided and the threat has not subsided for nursing homes in particular. We know congregated settings are a risk, whether that be direct provision centres, where there was an outbreak in Ennis last week, meat factories, where there are continuing risks and outbreaks or, indeed, nursing homes. There was an outbreak very recently in Marymount nursing home in Cork, in the Taoiseach's constituency, notwithstanding that all the staff and residents are vaccinated.

Continuing measures are necessary in nursing homes and in congregated settings more generally. If that is not funded through the TAPS, how will it be funded? We all accept that we cannot go back to the situation as it was before and that there had to be a change in practices in nursing homes. I very much welcome that change. The committee I chaired recommended a systemic change away from reliance on nursing homes towards care in the community. In conjunction with that committee, the previous Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, set up a nursing home expert panel. The Government has not implemented any of the recommendations of the committee I chaired or the expert panel, yet, at the same time, it is taking away the supports nursing homes currently have to introduce safer practices. How are nursing homes to pay for this? If not through the TAPS, will there will be an increase in the amount they are paid through the fair deal scheme? We all accept that greater measures have to be taken and those measures must be paid for.

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