17 Meith 2020, 15:59
The Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response will hear from officials from the Department of Health and the HSE, and the Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, when it meets tomorrow, Thursday, 18 June in Leinster House.
The Committee is holding two meetings in the Dáil Chamber.
- Representatives from the HSE and the Department of Health will discuss nursing homes with Deputies at the first session, which begins at 11am.
- Minister of State Seán Kyne will appear before the Committee, at the second session, to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the Gaeltacht and Islands and the State’s response at 2pm.
Speaking before the hearing, Committee Chairman, Michael McNamara TD said: “The Committee has already heard from stakeholders in the nursing home sector and tomorrow will hear from the HSE and Department of Health on the on-going impact of Covid-19 on these homes, and the measures in place to ensure the safety of residents and staff in our nursing homes, particularly as visits to nursing home by relatives and loved ones has now re-commenced.”
Deputy McNamara added:“The Committee will also welcome Minister of State Kyne to the meeting. Gaeltacht summer colleges, attended by up to 27,000 students annually and providing a considerable source of annual income for many living in Gaeltacht regions had to be called off this year as a result of the pandemic. The Committee looks forward to hearing about support packages being considered for the region, as well as the societal and economic impacts of Covid-19 on the Gaeltacht and the islands, where people have not been able to see family members for months now.”
Watch the Committee live here.