Results 8,041-8,060 of 11,246 for speaker:Colm Burke

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (27 May 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank the Minister, the Department of Health and all the people in the HSE, those in our nursing homes and all healthcare people who have worked so hard over the past three months in dealing with the issues. My query to the Minister is about the taking charge of private hospitals, which was the right decision at the time, whereby we have access to more than 2,000 beds that were not in...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: On a different issue, at the meeting last week reference was made to one third of all healthcare workers having tested positive. That statement was subsequently reported on by an RTÉ news programme. If one extrapolates from that reference, approximately 45,000 healthcare workers would have tested positive, which is incorrect. What ought to have been stated is that one third of those...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: My thanks to Mr. Taylor and Mr. Daly for coming to the committee this morning and for their contributions. I want to go back to the issue of the roll-out of swabs being taken by staff. Is it not now a priority that every nursing home would have a person assigned to be able to do that on an ongoing basis? Is there now a discussion with the HSE for that to be put in place and for it to be...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Does Mr. Daly expect a time period for that to be put in place?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Could we actually have every nursing home being able to take the swabs? Can we have that structure in place within 14 days?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Would Nursing Homes Ireland look for that kind of period?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Many people have raised the issue about staff pay in nursing homes. Approximately €1 billion per annum is being assigned for the fair deal scheme. What proportion of that goes to the private nursing home sector?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: In other words, per patient there is less coming to the private sector. Is that correct?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Does that mean a 62% additional cost in the public sector per patient?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: In real terms - in money terms - what is 62%? Is it €200, €300 or €400 per week?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: There will be an additional cost because of personal protective equipment and all of the other costs associated with Covid-19. What additional cost does Mr. Daly believe will now be incurred per patient?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: In any event, there will now be an additional cost.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: I want to go back on the issue of deaths in nursing homes. Life expectancy in this country has increased by seven years since 2000. In other words, people are living seven years longer now compared with the year 2000. Nursing homes have made a contribution to that increase in life expectancy. On average, how many deaths are there in all the nursing homes across the country per month? Have...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Has there been at any stage, outside of Covid, a sudden increase in deaths in the nursing home sector?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: That was a jump of 400 in one month alone.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Finally, I wish to ask about the forum, which is an issue I raised in the Seanad. Who should be on the forum that Nursing Homes Ireland believes should be set up? Mr. Taylor might also come in on that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: Deputy Doherty has already started.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: I thank the witnesses for coming here today and for being available to answer the questions we are putting to them. On the 584 centres that HIQA inspect, my understanding is that 80% of those are private and the other 20% are public. Of the 20% that is public, are they community hospitals and mental health facilities? Perhaps we could get a breakdown of how that is made up and the numbers...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: A list of public and private nursing homes was given to the Department. Can we have the breakdown of public and private?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Nursing Homes (Resumed) (26 May 2020)

Colm Burke: I want to ask about the HSE and congregated settings. We had a number of incidents and deaths in a number of facilities like Portlaoise, Phoenix Park and the community hospital in west Cork. I have spoken to people who worked in those facilities. For instance, I know that there were no changing facilities for staff in some of those facilities and there were six patients per ward. Surely...