The Deputy is showing his age. Will this be the case? Will the two be linked?

Chicken in a basket.

I want to be clear that the reason these measures had to be put in place was the systemic underfunding and understaffing in our health service. People had to stop moving to give our health service a chance to recover from the impact of the systematic and systemic underfunding and under-resourcing. We have the lowest number of consultants per head of population. We also have very low levels of nurses and very high levels of bed occupancy, with very long waiting lists. It was important that people stop to allow time …

I am sharing time with Teachta Buckley and Teachta Quinlivan. I will have seven minutes and they will have four minutes each.

I thank the Minister for his response to the question we discussed on cancer screening. I have sent the names to him. I have a very brief question on the national children's hospital. After much discussion, construction has restarted. I would have thought the hospital would be a priority project. As I often say to my daughter, it is the thing that she is going to be paying for out of her pension, but we do want to see it built nonetheless. My information is that work has not restarted. Perhaps the Minister would co…

The sooner it starts the better. We are going to pay for it. I wish to quote a text message I received from a cousin of mine, shortly after her father passed away in a nursing home: Is it the case that nursing homes were hit so hard because patients, some already showing signs of Covid-19 were transferred out of hospital to free up beds? They were not only moved once – in some cases they were kept for 2 weeks in one home and transferred on. You can understand my alarm. I received this message on 26 April. I indicat…

Mr. Reid described the meeting on 19 February as "informal". He stated that Covid was not discussed. It is on the record of the House.

Can I request that the Minister find that out definitively?

I want to ask the Minister about smear testing, not specifically about screening but about women who are symptomatic and who have come forward. I have been contacted by a number of them in the past week. They did as the Minister has previously advised. They were symptomatic, they were concerned and they went to their GPs. Their GPs are telling them now that the labs are not accepting the smear tests. I fully appreciate this was not the Minister's intention when he gave the advice but they are being told that the la…

If the Minister asks nicely.

On the issue of seconding staff from the HSE into the private nursing home sector and the long-term residential care sector, will the Minister give an update on how many staff have been seconded? Last week I spoke to him about the need to put geriatricians and geriatric consultants in place, which he agreed was a good idea. The response from the HSE tells me this is not happening and that staff are visiting but not actually being seconded to work in a more permanent capacity. Will the Minister address that because …

I understand that.

I am sharing time with Teachtaí Ó Murchú and Andrews. The first issue I wish to raise concerns nursing homes. Two weeks ago, I was advised during a teleconference with the HSE that patients were not transferred to nursing homes unless they had received two negative results for Covid. Some of the information that is coming to me is anecdotal and I also have information from a member of my family. The very firm belief among people I have spoken to is that at the very start of this crisis, in preparation for the surge…

I have very strong views on that topic, but we could be here all day discussing them. I want to address several pressing issues with the Minister. I am conscious time is tight. I am sharing time with Deputies Ward and Paul Donnelly, dividing the slot into seven minutes, four minutes and four minutes. I hope we can ask our questions in the seven minutes and if the Minister cannot then respond, I hope he will respond in writing. I want to be respectful to my colleagues and their time. Can he please issue a directive …

We can go to the Minister as I had seven minutes.

I will share time with an Teachta Kerrane. Before I ask my questions, I acknowledge the passing of a care worker in a nursing home in Swords who died of Covid-19. I have been in touch with some of the families in the care home, who are devastated, as are the residents and the people with whom she worked. I do not want to come in here and not acknowledge that because it is a big blow to the community. The nursing homes sector is reporting a severe difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff. In a survey of 252 nurs…

On a point of information or clarification, it sounded like the Minister was suggesting that I suggested that the agreement be ripped up, but I did no such thing. I think the Minister may have misspoken but that is certainly what it sounded like to me. I did no such thing and nor would I.

We have passed the two hours now. We are ten minutes over.

I am sharing time with an Teachta Darren O'Rourke. I want to ask the Minister about the advice given by the Chief Medical Officer that the restrictions on nursing home visits were premature. Will the Minister acknowledge that vital time was lost and that this is contributing to the fact there are more than 200 clusters of this virus in congregated settings throughout the State? This is an issue I have raised repeatedly with the HSE. Two weeks ago I was advised that teams of infection control personnel would be goin…

I have three minutes for my-----