Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

More than 9,278 citizens have died from Covid-19. Each and every one of those deaths leaves broken hearts and shattered lives. In many cases, relatives never got to say goodbye to their loved ones. What is happening to the inquiry which has been long promised? It is four years since we had our first deaths from Covid-19. I wish to know what is happening in this regard. We need to prepare for the next pandemic. Separately, that inquiry has to have the participation of the families of the 23 people who died in Dealgan House nursing home. They died in extraordinary, unbelievable and very challenging circumstances. There are great doubts and uncertainties about how they were looked after and how they died. We must get to the bottom of that tragedy.

Care champions are campaigning for a small number of nursing homes where people died with no explanation as to what exactly went on. We need an inquiry to get to the truth.

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