Results 10,181-10,200 of 26,394 for speaker:David Cullinane

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

David Cullinane: I will make a quick point on that. I requested last week that we have that meeting at this hearing. We were asked by the secretariat to follow up with items arising from the hearings regarding follow-up documentation. That was supplied but, again, we got the information an hour and a half before today's meeting. It is a large amount of information and members must now trawl through...

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

David Cullinane: I am taking ten minutes. I welcome our witnesses and commend them on their service and work in representing their members - Mr. Daly in particular -and patients. I also commend them on dealing with a very difficult situation where, as I am sure they know, staff were across different departments as well. I will talk Mr. Daly through his opening statement in a few minutes. He will...

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

David Cullinane: Two days later, on 18 March, Mr. Daly again followed up with more questions in respect of the provision of PPE, oxygen and required supplies, which he stated was very challenging, to say the least. He also referred to exhaustion of stocks, stated that residents and staff were awaiting testing and that was a difficulty. He also stated that "Delays occurring can present cataclysmic...

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

David Cullinane: Did Mr. Daly get that urgent meeting?

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

David Cullinane: Was that with officials in the Department of Health or with the Minister? Did Mr. Daly seek a meeting with the Minister?

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

David Cullinane: When did Mr. Daly first seek a meeting with the Minister?

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

David Cullinane: Was it weeks prior to that?

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

David Cullinane: I thank Mr. Daly.

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

David Cullinane: There was a constant pattern here of looking for meetings, flagging issues and raising yellow and red flags. I will go to correspondence No. 42. This was sent directly to the Minister for Health. It was an urgent request for a meeting and a conference call. That was on 19 March, and there was no response to that until the end of March. Is that correct?

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

David Cullinane: In No. 43, Mr. Daly again raised concerns in respect of a number of issues. I refer to a letter he wrote to the Minister in which he states:" I am writing to you to request an urgent meeting or conference call to discuss important issues." Mr. Daly then set out all the issues again. He continued by respectfully requesting immediate engagement to ensure the NHI could continue to provide...

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

David Cullinane: No. 46 is also correspondence from Mr. Daly, where he noted that the Department had established a working group on the nursing homes sector but the said that the decision to establish a group and exclude NHI "beggars belief, given that the sector provides care in a home". Mr. Daly, therefore, had outlined that issue right through the process. He wanted a working group in place, but his...

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

David Cullinane: It seems to me, reading all the correspondence, that this was Mr. Daly's organisation was crying out for help, almost daily, and not getting the appropriate responses. Is that a fair assessment?

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

David Cullinane: In Mr. Daly's opening statement, he stated he was "exasperated". That is a very strong word.

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

David Cullinane: Mr. Daly referred to the sector needing a specific plan. That did not come until the end of March. Is that fair to say?

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

David Cullinane: Mr. Daly also stated it was obvious that Covid-19 would have a disproportionate effect on older people and that the focus was almost completely on acute hospitals. A national strategy was required but it took a long time in terms of all of the correspondence to get that national strategy. Is that a fair point?

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

David Cullinane: Mr. Daly reiterated in his opening statement that there was insufficient testing of residents and staff, that there was a mass shortfall of PPE and that providers had suppliers that they would utilise to source such equipment but they were informed of a global shortage. I noted in some of the correspondence, which we are only now getting an opportunity to comb through, that some nursing...

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

David Cullinane: Mr. Daly took a decision early on. I appreciate that we can look back with the benefit of hindsight but in early March Nursing Homes Ireland took a decision to impose restrictions in regard to visitation. Is it not the case that NPHET met a week later and took a different approach? Mr. Daly mentioned in his opening statement that NPHET publicly challenged the decision that his organisation...

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

David Cullinane: Mr. Daly used the words "publicly challenged". In other words, the outworking of the press statement that was issued at the time as a consequence of that meeting was that it publicly challenged the decision that his organisation made, which was to keep people safe.

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

David Cullinane: Mr. Daly further mentioned in his opening statement that the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which is the authority responsible for the commissioning of nursing home care, fell silent as homes incurred considerable and responsible costs. The statement that the NTPF "fell silent" is a very strong one. In what area did it fall silent?

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

David Cullinane: Mr. Daly also said - this is one of the most telling contributions of his opening statement - that key State organisations left the nursing home sector and its residents isolated in those early days and "the dismay will live forever with us." That is a very strong statement. It strikes me that Mr. Daly was very disappointed and angry with the State actors that they did not respond. Despite...