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ALMOST 100 STAFF members and residents in one nursing home have tested positive for coronavirus, the Dáil has heard today.
Fianna Fáil’s spokesman for health Stephen Donnelly said the nursing home has 200 staff, 70 of whom have tested positive for Covid-19.
He said of the 100 residents, 19 have tested positive and four have died.
In addition, three of its kitchen staff and several cleaning staff have left the business.
“It does not know where it can get help, given that no agency staff are available. I imagine every member in the House has been contacted with similar stories,” said Donnelly.
“The situation is very serious. Nursing homes cannot get the staff they need, particularly in areas where additional skills, such as palliative care, are required. They cannot get their hands on personal protective equipment. They are receiving small amounts but that is not enough,” he said.
Donnelly acknowledged the HSE is trying to deploy its staff to try to plug some of the gaps, but much more is needed, he said.
Earlier the Minister for Health Simon Harris told the Dáil that addressing issues in long term residential care is “a big public health issue that we have to get right.”
Listing the supports, he said Infection Prevention and Control Teams are being deployed, there is a prioritisation of staff for testing, including temperature checking twice a day, and PPE equipment is being ramped up. The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet tomorrow to discuss issues in relation to long term residential care, he said.
“We have some of our oldest and most vulnerable residents living in nursing homes and other residential settings. We need to make sure that the safeguards are in place to protect them but also to ensure that we don’t see the risk of infection spreading from there into the community as well,” he said.
Dáil sitting
The Dail debate began today with TDs debating whether they should sit at all.
Harris said: “I’m deeply uneasy from a public health point of view that we are meeting in this session today.”
He added that politicians should lead by example.
Yesterday, some TDs reacted angrily to the State’s top civil servant criticising the Dáil for sitting today. In a letter to the clerk of the Dáil he said “everyone in the country has been asked stay at home, subject to the limited exceptions which have been published by the Government”.
“To do otherwise is to risk the spread of the Covid-19 disease and to put fellow citizens, including those working on the front-line in our health service, at risk”.
Many TDs were exercised by Martin Fraser’s interaction stating that parliament has a role to fill in these times and politicians as public servants are deemed essential workers.
Today’s Dáil Business Committee agreed that today’s sitting would proceed today, and the House would sit again in two weeks time.
“I think of all the people at home who are adjusting to a very different way of living. Just like them, democratic accountability can operate at a distance. There is no reason it cannot do so effectively. Other parliaments are doing it,” said Health Minister Simon Harris today.
He said remote working has been carried out in a lot of government business recently, indicating that Dáil work can also be done in this way.
“I will not dwell any longer on this but the days we do not lead by example are days we should regret,” he said.
A number of TDs chose not to attend today’s sitting which is taking place over three hours. Labour TDs Alan Kelly and Ged Nash said last week that they would not be attending, with their party instead stating that they would support the national effort to stay at home.
While many TDs objected to the Dáil not sitting next week, it was agreed it would return on 16 April.
Independent TD Michael Healy Rae said it is only right and proper that the Dáil sits today, stating that concerns from the public need to be heard.
Fianna Fáil’s Marc MacSharry said commentary by some in recent days about politicians staying at home “has been regrettable” stating that the Dáil is not an “optional Parliament”.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it is vital that decisions made during this public health crisis are made in an “open and transparent manner”. He said the public have to have faith in decision makers at this time.
“Democracy is not an optional extra,” he said, adding that public confidence is needed in decisions during the emergency.
Countries that have done best through pandemics are the ones that are most open and the most democratic, claimed Boyd Barrett.
“It is critical that the Dáil sit,” he said. A number of TDs said they were open to the Dáil sitting in another venue if needed or even being held remotely.
TDs asked a number of questions in relation to home care, social welfare, workers’ rights, testing facilities.
Donnelly questioned when answers to the questions would be given to politicians as Harris was not present for the end of proceedings. Minister Josepha Madigan said she had taken notes of the concerns to pass on to Minister Harris.
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God love them. Must be terrible worrying for the residents
@Joe Davis: And to think that three weeks ago, the HSE National Public Health Emergency Team said that visiting restrictions nursing homes had implemented themselves were unnecessary and should be lifted. https://twitter.com/FergalBowers/status/1237447726331281408
@Joe Davis: especially as it is being spread from the community into them.
No visitors allowed in over a month.
@Joe Davis: And their families. Why are we not being told names of these places? I’ve a family member in one, who we haven’t seen or heard from in almost a month.
@Mary Morrisey: If you are next of kin then maybe just call them ? If not, then just ask whoever is next of kin.
@Tommy Roche: We do, but we don’t know if they are telling the truth.
@Mary Morrisey: don’t you have a a phone???
Not wishing to sound bad, but you would think all agency nurses should be a top priority when it comes to testing regardless if they have symptoms or not.
They would work in different hospitals and homes on a regular basis and could be spreading it unknowingly to nursing homes.
@Sean Brannigan: And what about the cleaning and kitchen staff, remember they left too, and I suspect with good reason. The management said they can’t get replacement agency staff, I can imagine that advert.
Cleaning staff wanted, hard workers only for very difficult role. Extremely dangerous job at the moment. Minimum wage, apply below.
Not very appealing is it?
@Arch Angel: why would they? €350 to stay at home, two Q’s Is the €350 to much and are cleaners not getting paid enough ?
@Chengo Warrior: That’s a very cynical view of those staff. All over the world, including in every city, town and village in this country, ordinary people people are going above and beyond what’s asked of them to help one another.
When so many of these staff left so suddenly it made me suspect there was more to this than met the eye. To answer your last question first, I don’t know what they were getting paid, but I doubt it’s very much, and I suspect the working conditions may not have been the best. As for your first question, is €350 too much? That’s not for me to answer.
They do not need to meet in the Dail today. This is clearly work that can be done remotely AND recorded for the public record.
Someone please confirm that the Dail bar and restaurant are closed today.
@Stephen: wrong article….
@Stephen: I can confirm Stephen that if the Dail Bar is open that not so much as washer will be handed in over the counter, Fact
@Stephen: It could be done remotely by a bunch of half capable teenagers, however we’re talking about our elected politicians. While some may be IT capable the majority, sadly, wouldn’t know RAM from ROM or be familiar enough with IT security to do this safely. It may be an idea to set to set up something cheap, simple and most of all, foolproof, for situations like this in the future, should they arise.
@Arch Angel: foolproof is the right term.
You have agency workers going from nursing home to nursing home, from hospital to hospital and from hospital to nursing home! Madness.
@Karen Doyle: Very true. You also have nursing home staff and staff in hospitals going into work in their uniforms..possibiliy bringing an infection in to their place of work ..or.. bringing an infection from their place of work to their home and families. They should be changing in work. Madness!
@Karen Doyle: listening to Newstalk this morning and advert from recruitment agency looking for healthcare staff immediate using the same Ireland’s call message. Surely at this stage with the response they got the HSE can not be still relying on agency staff
@RobbieL: happens in hospitals too!
Are changing room and shower facilities provided in every hospital and nursing home?
If not why not?
Also task orientated work practices in Nursing Homes needs to stop now, one nurse doing meds another nurse doing dressings etc etc only helps spread infection
Yeah it’s bad was talking to a nurse she’s off work because a patient tested positive that was 2 days ago shes booked in on friday for the test and the results we dont know when. But she off work till the results are in that’s a long time off work.
@ben: they should prioritise front line workers so we can get then back where they are needed
@Jim Buckley Barrett: thought they would of already?
Just how gullible do politicians think people are? Short few weeks back you couldn’t get them to show up for a full day’s work at the Dail, now when they should stay at home, they are crowding the gate just be seen as what: heroes? Oh look at me I worked during a National crisis. Muppets. Well ye are not getting any browny points from me anyway. I save those for the real heroes, which are nurses, doctors, gards, truckers and the people risking catching this dirt so that we can all stay at home and beat it. Ye are nothing but a bunch of opportunists. Stay at home!!
@RobPup: It’s been confirmed that not only do some know how but help each other work remotely.
@RobPup: instead of doing photo shoots and PR speeches there guys should be getting these things done , getting what the frontline people need by any method even if they have to get on the Gov jet..Leo and Simon may feel this virus a gift horse to revitalise their failing careers.Please god somebody will take control.
@RobPup: Politicians know exactly how gullible people are, look at the rise in popularity for Leo and the lads, couldn’t get a vote a few weeks ago now they are all heroes.
You can’t beat the educated Paddy for gullibility.
Stephen Donnelly also told the Dáil that “One health care worker in Dublin who often sees 10 different clients a day has contracted Covid-19. He added that the worker also lives in a small house with eight other health care workers who also have 10 clients a day”
Nine health care workers living in the one small house. Read between the lines.
Horrible for everyone involved
Scary to see how many people want to abandon dempcracy so quickly.
Leo’s out doing photo shoots but he wants the Dail closed? So it’s serious enough to close the Dail but his little photo ops are important???
Never forget, the first doctor he hired to deal with this was a spin doctor, bringing Concannon back, previously hired for his “strategic communications unit”
Worrying stuff going on, I would not be so quick to blindly trust Fine Gael in this emergency after they were so slow to react, leaving the pubs open paddys day weekend, leaving schools open while the public pleeded for them to be closed, taking no measures to stop people flying in from Italy. They screwed this up before it even started and now we’re supposed to blindly trust them without question?
@:
Doesn’t stop the shinner trolls having their whinge!
@: a Shinner supporter no doubt, putting more propangda into the airways
That’s dreadful news for that nursing home, how will they attempt to resolve that situation?
@Emer Caffrey: we are not meant to know this…. please stop asking difficult questions
Is it a private nursing home or public?
Maybe somebody could ask our CMO does he regret admonishing the Nursing Homes for trying to prevent spread by closing their Nursing Homes to Visitors ?
What a bunch of ego’s thinking their windbag statements matter. They voted on nothing they talk about example. Very simple if they want to set an example. TAKE A PAY CUT.. like almost everyone else in the country. The pilots going to China collection medical supplies their colleagues have taken a 50% cut.
Ye are a disgrace in the Dail today. A thundering Disgrace
Is their BAR open
@Martin Sinnott:
It would be just brilliant if it was – then we could all just go ballistic with the outrage!
Please give me something to vent about, please!
@Martin Sinnott: no the bar and canteen are closed.
@Martin Sinnott:
Is this supposed to be a funny comment or are you just that stupid?
Zoom meetings would have been an acceptable platform for them to meet. They did not need to meet in person.
FFS !!!! , elderly people and nursing home staff are in serious trouble here.
There is a real possibility that the elderly will die and all you can do is squabble and see who can piss the furthest…
The Journal warriors are the saddest bunch of clowns in existence today.
Take time off and polish your tinfoil.
Benson and hedges tobacco claim they will be able to produce millions of vaccines per day by June. If this is true perhaps we can legalise smoking in pubs in recognition of this miracle if true.
@Imagine !:
Emmm , how about No thanks.
Just wondering if that is in greystones where Donnelly lives. If so it’s a small town it would be full of infection. We should know the areas where there is a concentration of cases so we can avoid, services in or around it etc.
Hospital staff dont wear masks.
How are they supposed to stop the spread.
Did they all get the flu jab this year.
My guess is 100% of them did.
Are the death figures for nursing homes and age breakdown too shocking to publish?
Is it so bad that it would undermine public confidence?
Im not a FG supporter and never have been, but i actually think they are doing a good job handling this crisis, but i think they should close ports and airports to foot passenger’s, but keep the Cargo coming and going. I think its disgusting of SF and PBP insisting the dail sit, to keep the current government held to account, when the majority of this little country are locked in their homes. What a bunch of attention seekers… Disgraceful . The use of video conference’s could be used, instead of gathering TDs from the four corners of this island, and putting themselves, their families, the Dail staff and all their families…. Shame on SF and PBP…..
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