Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I want to raise two issues. One is the report of the national independent review panel that has brought forward a report on the rape of an elderly and vulnerable citizen in a nursing home run by the HSE on behalf of the State. Other elderly residents made complaints about sexual assaults perpetrated by the same staff member. It would appear from the report that no action was taken. It was only through the bravery of a lady identified as Emily in the report, although that is not her real name, and her willingness to give evidence despite her trauma and her age, that this individual was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Yesterday, we had survivors and the whistleblower from St. Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park, which is also run by the HSE. These are two State-run nursing homes.

Margo Hannon, the whistleblower who made protected disclosures, was in Leinster House yesterday when she revealed that she had raised concerns about infection control and isolation during the first wave of Covid, which led to a number of deaths. Her complaints were ignored. When she made a protected disclosure and it was investigated, her findings were validated, but no lessons were learned. During a fourth wave of Covid, a further large number of elderly people died. There seems to be a recurring theme or pattern in the HSE of wanting to suppress information using spurious reasons like the general data protection regulation to protect the identities of the people involved. We should have a debate on how we might mobilise the HSE to take action in respect of the lessons that need to be learned and to stop punishing and retaliating against whistleblowers like Margo Hannon. It is completely unacceptable that a person who is trying to save lives finds themselves subject to hostile scrutiny.

Members are probably all aware of the submersible lost off Newfoundland that has a 24-hour supply of oxygen left. I am thinking of the five people and I hope they can be rescued. I am also mindful of the 24,000 refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in the past four or five years. So far this year, 400 people have drowned. There is a report today of fisherman in Tunisia who has found 15 bodies in his nets in the past number of days, including that of the baby. This fisherman said that he had become used to finding bodies in his nets but that when he found the baby, he cried. I congratulate the Irish Naval Service personnel who have deployed to the Mediterranean as part of Operation Irini. As part of previous operations, the LÉ Samuel Beckettrescued 2,000 people out of the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. May we continue in that effort.

We know that the people from Ukraine, from sub-Saharan Africa and from trans-Saharan Africa are coming here because of atrocities, war, climate change and human rights violations. Nobody puts a child into a boat to get a job at Starbucks in Hamburg. We must welcome everybody. I am aware that has been a very difficult matter for the Government, but I congratulate the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, for the efforts he has made to try to resolve this unprecedented problem despite all of the challenges that have arisen. We need to welcome these people, particularly in view of the appalling circumstances they face.