Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the past two days, the Taoiseach's position on the unlawful charging of citizens and their families in nursing homes has gone from one of utter denial to one of admitting that he may have been briefed. Nobody will be surprised at this because this is themodus operandi of the Government. It denies that it happened then admits that it did happen but downplays the significance, then finally it admits the significance but urges everybody to move along. The Tánaiste and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications are members of Cabinet who received a memo. It outlined how thousands of vulnerable people were unlawfully denied their disability payments and included a strategy to continue this wrongdoing. The Taoiseach was at pains this morning to downplay the significance of this and highlight that it is historical. However, it is not historical. It is the Government's responsibility here and now to do this. It is much more reflective of other things that have happened that the Government has sought to do similar with.

Not two years ago, the Department of Health was compiling secret dossiers on children with autism if they were taking a case against the State. We are all acutely aware of the devastating outcomes of the CervicalCheck scandal that still looms large for so many women and their families. Bullish responses help nobody and, therefore, my questions are specific. Have the three coalition leaders discussed these memos that relate to the charging of nursing home fees and the unlawful withholding of disability payments? Have they been provided with copies of those memos and the related documentation? If not, have they asked for them? These are matters that the Taoiseach needs to get a grip on today, in real time. Finally, will the Taoiseach agree to the publication of these documents?

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