HIQA chief before Oireachtas Committee to discuss impact of Covid-19 on nursing homes report

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published The impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes in Ireland report in July. The Committee will discuss the report when it meets in the Seanad Chamber.

• HIQA Chief Executive Officer Phelim Quinn, and HIQA’s Director of Regulation, Mary Dunnion and Deputy Chief Inspector for Social Services, Susan Cliffe will appear before the Committee via video link from Committee Room 2 at 10.30am.

Speaking before the meeting, Committee Chairman Michael McNamara TD said: “The impact of Covid-19 on nursing home residents has been shocking. There can be no doubt that our older population was disproportionately affected by this pandemic with deaths in nursing homes accounting for more than half of all Covid-19 deaths recorded in the State by July.   The exploration of this HIQA report is part of the Committee’s on-going investigation into Covid-19 in nursing homes.

“The Committee’s own interim report on the impact of Covid-19 on nursing homes was published in July. The examination of the HIQA report will assist it the Committee in determining how best to continue its investigation and to determine whether a public inquiry is necessary to examine how Covid-19 impacted on nursing homes.”

Watch the Committee live.