David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

1 o’clock

Last night, RTÉ broadcast an edition of "Prime Time" that dealt with the issue of older people who lost their lives in nursing homes. We heard harrowing accounts from relatives of the residents of a home in Cork who lost their loved ones without seeing them. Mams, dads, husbands and wives died, many of them on their own with nobody to hold their hands, while family members looked on through windows. Obviously, that was traumatic for all of the families involved. My party leader and I wrote to the Taoiseach a number of weeks ago and asked that he convene a meeting of all party and group leaders on the scope of any public inquiry. We also asked him to engage with care champions and advocate groups representing and campaigning for the families of people who passed away. Will the Taoiseach commit to arranging a meeting of all party leaders to agree the terms of reference and scope of any public inquiry? Crucially, will he agree to meet with representatives of the family members and loved ones of those who passed away?

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