Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)

The recent “RTÉ Investigates” exposé was shocking and shameful and the sheer lack of compassion and respect shown to the residents in that programme was appalling. We can only imagine the pain they and their families suffered, as well as the worry it has caused to others as a result. I commend RTÉ, although it should not be up to RTÉ to expose these atrocities that are going on.

My first question to the Minister is this. What protections are in place to prevent companies that have legal cases against them in other EU member states from operating in our care sector and, indeed, in other care sectors? Was due diligence or anything whatsoever carried out?

The failure in this regard is the first thing that is neglectful.

These shocking levels of neglect are the logical outworkings of commodification of care. What we have in this State is the profit model of care, which lends itself to large-scale operations driven by profit maximisation, as has been said. We must move away from the overdependence on this model. That is why, in Sinn Féin's alternative budget each year, we allocate investment to providing more public nursing home and community beds. Our provision last year was 1,200 beds. I commend the family-run nursing homes, community nursing homes and the many other facilities, including in my county, which provide excellent care for elderly people in a compassionate and appropriate way. It beggars belief that the Government changed policy in this regard. There is a responsibility on both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for the model we have. It did not just appear out of nowhere; it was Government policy.

It is no good Members opposite coming in here and commentating on the situation we are in when it was man-made by the Government. Community nursing homes and small, family-run nursing homes, and their staff, must be supported. Healthcare workers, nurses and other staff are too often faced with impossible situations that are not of their making. They do not make the decisions that lead to the lack of the most basic things required for human dignity, including pads, blankets and being taken to the bathroom, never mind provision of stimulation and joyful activities. Safe staffing levels should never be optional. Pay and conditions for many of these workers are abysmal for the level of responsibilities they have. Zero-hour contracts and the minimum wage are not conducive to the intensive care that needs to be provided for our most vulnerable. I support the calls for a Covid inquiry because it is the same healthcare workers who came face to face with the situation in nursing homes during the pandemic. We are still paying them the minimum wage or a little above. That is disgraceful.

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