Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach did a good job of outlining what TAPS supported, and I welcome that, but how will that be supported now? He says there will be supports. I am told that nursing homes that have contacted Ministers in the Government have been told that if there is an outbreak moneys will be made available, but the point of all this is to avoid outbreaks, in particular those in congregated settings. Notwithstanding the high take-up of vaccines, there are still outbreaks, unfortunately. They are fewer in number and their consequences are lesser, I accept, but we need to avoid the outbreaks and their consequences. The Taoiseach talked about lessons being learned. We will have to look at the spread of Covid-19 in healthcare settings and congregated settings. I think a tribunal will have to be considered to look at the earlier deaths in nursing homes in particular and whether people were sent home or sent into nursing homes from acute hospitals with Covid. How will nursing homes fund the measures that continue? Yes, the risk is lesser but it is still greatest among a certain cohort, and funding needs to be provided in that regard.

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