Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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2909. To ask the Minister for Health if he will respond to matters (details supplied) in relation to staff involved in Covid-19 contact tracing call centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39605/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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2910. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 319 of 15 July 2021, the reason the reply does not deal with the question which relates to the recommendations of the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 which called for an inquiry into the deaths in nursing homes from Covid-19; his position on actions he intends to take in relation to those recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39631/21]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented challenge across our health services and none more so than in our nursing homes. The pandemic has been a hugely difficult time for all residents, relatives, and staff of nursing homes.

I have addressed these matters recently in the Dáil and, while it is undoubtedly important that we learn from our responses to the pandemic, it must be recognised that the pandemic has not concluded. At this time, a priority focus of Government remains the ongoing management of the COVID-19 response. This will ensure that the positive gains now been experienced are preserved, and that those most vulnerable to the virus continue to be safeguarded, having regard to the residual risk.

Although significant progress has been made in relation to the roll-out of the vaccination programme and the current situation in nursing homes is broadly stable, the prevalence of the more transmissible Delta variant is rapidly increasing in Ireland. This poses a significant risk, particularly to those who are not yet fully protected though vaccination, which must be managed.

It is also important to recognise that learning from the early stages of the pandemic has been integral to the Government’s responses as the pandemic has progressed. The COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel considered lessons learned from the initial wave of the pandemic in developing recommendations that focus on immediate, short-term actions required for the response to COVID-19 as well as on long-term actions required to effect the strategic reform of nursing home systems, operation, policy, and legislation.

Continuing the approach of the Expert Panel, the HSE will undertake a detailed analysis of the management and outcomes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, with lessons for causal factors and preparedness for infection prevention and control, in line with recommendation theme 6 of the Expert Panel’s report.

The blend of operational data from the frontline, voluntary surveys’ findings and key stakeholder feedback also continuously provide insight into the current status of the nursing home sector's response to COVID-19.

The ongoing learning from the pandemic, including consideration of new evidence and information that emerges nationally and internationally, is critical to the Government’s continued response to the pandemic as it evolves.

While we are still dealing with a degree of risk in nursing homes due to COVID-19, we are continuing to look at options which may be available to the State in relation to listening to the voices of those who have lost a loved one.