Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the easing of restrictions but for some in society this is a huge cause for concern. We have already seen our older people left out of Government announcements, particularly those living in nursing homes. The Government has been slow to consider their needs. Those who are medically vulnerable and those with suppressed immune systems have been left to fend for themselves. I urge the Government to be more inclusive and to consider the effect of its announcements on all of our citizens.

There must be a public inquiry into the pandemic response. It must include an investigation into the failures in some nursing homes and pre-existing failures such as low ICU capacity, which made us all more vulnerable. It should look at issues of poor planning, slow response times and mixed messaging by Government over the course of the pandemic. Mistakes were made and must be learned from. The terms of reference for this inquiry must be drawn up in consultation with civil society groups to encompass a wide range of concerns.

One thing made clear by this pandemic is that we need an independent nursing home regulator. There must be consequences for the minority of nursing homes that had serious shortcomings and the consequent isolation, neglect, and loss of health and life that were experienced. Any inquiry must also look at how failures to properly resource the health service, and failures to modernise and advance critical reforms, contributed to the difficulties faced by hospitals and the health system during the pandemic. It cannot ignore workers’ rights, such as sick pay entitlements, and how we can make a wide range of changes across society and the economy to ensure a fairer Ireland. The pandemic bonus payment is to be welcomed but the Government must commit to including workers in section 38 and 39 organisations, as well as family carers.

I have been inundated with emails from students who are worried about the recent leaving certificate announcement. I urge the Minister for Education to listen to our students, to rethink the path she has chosen and not to repeat the same mistake with our junior certificate students.

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