Louth TD slams approach to Covid-19 inquiry

It is “not fine” for the government to be purely a commentator in the Covid 19 review, particularly when there are families in Dealgan House in Dundalk who still don’t know what happened to their loved ones, five years on, Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has told the Dáil.

The Sinn Féin TD was speaking during a debate about nursing homes, prompted by the recent Prime Time Investigates programme.

The Louth TD said it was “hard to believe we are back here again” discussing nursing homes, 20 years after the Leas Cross scandal, which led to the establishment of HIQA. He said HIQA needs more powers, particularly for unannounced visits to homes.

He said: “We cannot be utterly reliant on Prime Time to safeguard our older people. We have huge levels of failings. Everyone has said we have an issue with privatisation, accepting that there are good private and public nursing homes. We need to make sure all of them are good.

“The Government has walked away from the public system. In everything this Government touches, there is an overreliance on the private sector. In the nursing home sector, 81% of homes are private and 19% are public. Without safeguards, there are huge questions to answer”.

And he said that families of those whose loved ones died during a devastating outbreak at Dealgan House nursing home in April and May 2020, are “not impressed”, with the government’s approach to the Covid 19 inquiry.

He said: “I do not even know what the term is because it is hardly an inquiry. It is a review of the period of Covid-19. We need some sort of compellability.

“We have heard the Taoiseach and many others speak about what they do not want to see in relation to commissions of inquiry or commissions of investigation. That is fine but it is not fine to be a commentator. The Government has the power to decide what type of inquiry can be initiated, with whatever checks and balances are required. That is what we need.

“We really have to get real about delivering a home first policy to facilitate those in their own home to be helped by their families. This will require a statutory support scheme that is up to scratch. We need to see the adult safeguarding legislation delivered.”

“This has been necessary for a long time and has been spoken about for far too long in this House. We need to make sure all those necessary pieces are put in place.”