Absolutely. The Deputy can indeed. Interim guidance on transfer between care facilities was circulated to NHI on 10 March and there was an agreement to provide PPE on 12 March. I do not wish to use the Deputy's time going through all of this but I reject her assertion. Some 400 pages of correspondence show there was an awful lot of contact between incredible people in the HSE, the Department and nursing homes.

On the contract cleaners, and taking the point made by the Deputy, I join with him in sharing the view that cleaners have been on the front line and they have been keeping us all safe. I too would like to see that agreement honoured. On the Bon Secours Hospital Limerick, they are the figures I gave to Deputy O'Reilly. The updated figures I have today show 30% of inpatient beds now being used in the Bon Secours Hospital Limerick. I will forward a refreshed table to Deputies Quinlivan and O'Reilly. I remain committed…

I thank Deputy Colm Burke for raising this issue and for keeping in touch with me on these issues, particularly those in Cork. The Deputy is correct that at a point in time we had to make sure we had access to every possible hospital bed in every possible setting for a wave or a surge which, thankfully, did not come in the way that it could have. That is thanks to the incredible efforts of the Irish people. It is clear that we are going to require additional capacity for the foreseeable future, however. Even provid…

I found myself smiling because this must be the most famous 60-bed block in the country because it is raised so often and talked about so much in the House. I visited it quite a while ago. I am delighted to see it is progressing and nearing completion.

Exactly, and 24 in Croom. The short answer to the Deputy's question is "Yes". We will need all of the additional capacity we can get. I will give the Deputy a commitment that it is the intention of my Department to ensure those beds are fully funded and can open as quickly as possible. Of the 48, 24 are due to be ready to be opened in June and the other 24 in July. I will look into the opening of those in Croom.

Yes, we need to staff the beds so we can fully-----

Absolutely. Those beds are specifically being provided as part of our ongoing response to Covid and non-Covid care. There will be 98 potential extra beds plus the 24 in Croom, which is much-needed extra bed capacity in the mid-west.

First, I am very pleased that Deputy Feighan is okay. One cannot keep a good man down. I am pleased he is well and that he had a good experience in our health service. I join him in paying tribute to the staff in Sligo University Hospital, and the paramedics as well. I had the pleasure of visiting Sligo University Hospital some time last year. There are exciting plans in place in terms of capital redevelopment, as well as plans for the hospice facility in Sligo. It is a very well-run hospital but it is in need of s…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I pay tribute to the staff in UHL, led by chief executive, Ms Colette Cowan, and clinical director, Dr. Gerry Burke, for the excellent work they do. It is a hospital, and a hospital group, that does not have adequate capacity relative to the size of the population, which will not come as news to anybody. I do not want to use up all the time but, as we have been discussing, there are now exciting and ambitious plans to try and grow that capacity. There will be a …

I will try to get through these questions. First, I had a meeting with the Disability Action Coalition, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers in respect of a number of the issues that the Deputy has raised regarding disability funding. There are three elements to it. First, there is the 1% efficiency cut, saving or whatever one wishes to call it that they were meant to achieve this year. Being blunt and honest, they will not be in a position to achieve it an…

I join the Deputies in wishing Dr. Gerry Burke well on his retirement. He is a very dedicated public servant and clinician. In relation to the letter, I think — I say “think” because I read a lot of documents — I read it for the first time today. If the Deputy does not mind, let me explain the issue here.

Absolutely, I will allow time for all the questions. What I wish to say in this regard is important. I would like these documents to be shared with the Covid committee. I am aware the Deputy asked for the documents concerning Nursing Homes Ireland and the Department. I would have thought it important for the Deputy to have the documents involving the Department and HIQA also. That is quite important; it is actually more important. On 13 March, HIQA wrote to the Department of Health about 19 HSE nursing homes that h…

-----and the Department. I asked only today for that correlation to be considered. We thought in the same way in that regard. The question the Deputy put to me as to whether there are any other concerns makes me believe he has an answer which I am not aware of. He will need to be clearer on this question to me because I do not quite understand it. I would welcome clarity in that regard. On the issue of private hospitals, I am in favour of creating a universal healthcare system in line with Sláintecare. That is my v…

I am open to the idea of having a conversation with regard to private hospitals that are available to provide capacity. My current priority, however, is providing for the needs of the HSE with regard to capacity. We should be clear that we will need that capacity beyond the end of June. That is my very strong view. With regard to cancer screening, I met representatives of the national cancer control programme - I believe it was yesterday, it was certainly this week - to initiate a conversation about screening. I ha…

Has the letter not been published?

I will certainly publish the letter. It will probably be for the next Government to make-----

I am happy to publish any relevant documentation but, at this stage, it will be a matter for the next Government to decide whether those tests have been met.

I thank the Deputy. Regarding correspondence from HIQA, I will have to check what was received in February, because my note says 13 March. I will revert to the Deputy on that and I am not doubting what Mr. Quinn said.

On 13 March, there were 19 sites identified by HIQA to the Department as having multi-occupancy rooms and creating infection prevention challenges. I do not mean it in any sort of smart way when I suggest that it will not come as a surprise to anybody in the Department or the HSE that multi-occupancy rooms have extra infection prevention challenges. On the same day, 13 March, that information was sent on to the HSE. Dr. Colm Henry wrote back to the Department in April stating: Please forgive the delay in providing …

Let us debate that in due course. I would point out that on 31 March, NPHET itself put in place a range of specific public health actions for long-term residential care facilities and home supports. There were two special meetings of NPHET specifically dedicated to-----