John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As early as last summer, it was revealed that there were 43 deaths at six different nursing homes across County Wicklow due to Covid-19. Those included the deaths of 24 people in Bray, with ten people passing away in just one nursing home in the town. Twelve people lost their lives in St. Brigid's nursing home in Crooksling, on the border between Dublin and west Wicklow. Another seven people died in nursing homes in the rest of the county. That is a total of 43 deaths in nursing homes in Wicklow in the first few months of the pandemic.

The first confirmed case of Covid-19 in a nursing home in Ireland was on 13 March 2020. On 23 March, the first resident at Crooksling tested positive for Covid-19. Despite this, the HSE seemed to fast-track pre-existing plans to close the public nursing home. Forty-six of the residents were transferred to Tymon North nursing home in Tallaght, two residents were moved to Baltinglass hospital and one resident was moved to the Maynooth community care centre. The transfer of those residents happened while eight of them were awaiting test results for the virus. Twelve of those residents died and 34 members of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Many questions remain unanswered as to why these residents were moved in the midst of a serious outbreak in the facility and what impact the move had on the spread of the virus. The now Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, stated last year that nursing homes in Wicklow and elsewhere were left "screaming [out] for help" and they did not get it. He also stated that his work on the Covid-19 committee had painted "a dark picture" of how Wicklow's nursing homes were dealt with by the State. I agree with him. The reality is that the former Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, has serious questions to answer regarding how he managed and handled this situation. The Minister for Health and the Minister of State can now ensure that the calls for truth coming from families who lost loved ones are listened to and acted upon. Will the Minister of State ensure that the families get the answers and the truth they require or will she engage in the policy of the suppression of information, something which has plagued this State for far too long? We need clarity and information. The families need that and we need a public inquiry now.

See this speech in context