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LAST UPDATE | 22 Oct 2020
THE DÁIL HAS been told about a nursing home in the west of the country in which 90% of its 28 residents have tested positive for Covid-19, with one of the residents having passed away.
The outbreak was raised by a number of Dáil deputies, who said that seven out of eight nursing staff have tested positive and that just one nurse was on duty as a result.
The HSE have confirmed that an outbreak was declared on Sunday after serial testing identified two cases, and that all residents and staff were tested the following day.
A HSE Infection Prevention and Control nurse attended the nursing home on Monday 19 October to provide support to staff.
“The first outbreak control team meeting chaired by public health took place on Tuesday and there have been daily outbreak control team meeting since, and they continue,” the HSE’s Chief Operations Officer Anne O’Connor told a media briefing this afternoon.
“As of this morning, we know that a significant number of the staff nursing and health care workers have tested positive. We know that a large number of the residents have tested positive.”
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that he couldn’t go into much detail about the case but that senior management is on site “now as we speak”.
“Let me be very clear, these cases were detected through testing the HSE does. Infection Prevention and Control teams were deployed, staff have been deployed, serial testing is ongoing, all staff and residents were tested,” he said.
“There are senior management on site right now as we speak, significant financial supports are given to all nursing homes, significant personal protective equipment is being supplied, the HSE is doing everything it can to protect nursing homes.”
Pearse Doherty TD had told the Dáil earlier today that the proprietors of the nursing home had been “pleading” for additional support.
“They have been begging in desperation for the HSE to help them for the last two days, they have not received the help,” Doherty said.
We have nursing staff who’ve been on call now, one nurse for 72 hours looking after 28 residents. Unfortunately, one of those residents has passed away, others are being transported to hospital.
Roscommon–Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice said the nursing home is in his constituency and that all but one of the nursing staff has tested positive.
“Eight nursing staff, seven has tested positive, 11 care assistants, 10 of them has tested positive. They went through the protocols and contacted the HSE, the words they were told was ‘don’t panic get agency staff’. Well, there was no agency staff and the one nurse and the one care assistant who haven’t tested positive did 14 hours yesterday,” he said.
The HSE promised staff this morning and nobody showed up. Two people have now this morning been admitted to hospital and this nursing home is looking at having to send the rest of the patients into hospital because the HSE did not send any staff to help them out.
Roscommon-Galway TD Denis Naughten said that he has contacted the Minister for Health about the matter.
“We find this morning in my constituency, where 90% of the residents of a nursing home, 90% of the staff in the nursing home, have now tested positive for Covid-19.” he said.
We have a nursing home being run for the last three days by a cook and two other staff, which is totally unacceptable.
“Now Tánaiste I accept that you don’t know the detail in relation to it. I have had the opportunity to provide the Minister for Health with that information here this morning and in fairness to him, he has left the chamber immediately on getting that information to act upon it.”
Taking Leaders Questions today, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “I will absolutely look into this once I’m finished here in the chamber today. And I’m reassured to hear you say that the Minister of Health is already on the case and I think that’s important.”
Addressing the staffing concerns at the facility, O’Connor said that “stable staffing” is now in place.
“We’re continuing to support and we also know that the rosters are covered, that we have staff in place to provide support to the nursing home. We also have a dedicated manager, providing daily support in terms of accessing staff,” she said.
We’re continuing to monitor the nursing home closely. And we know that we have stable staffing in place for the next three days. So I just want to address that because I’m aware that there has been considerable discussion of about it today.
She is a hero
I seriously have so much admiration and respect for this lady.
This story has recieved a mere 2500+ views compared to the 28,000+ attributed to the story about the shooting in the U.S!!
Makes you wonder what the people of our country think about its people!!
It’s about time this was sorted out, it’s a pity somebody had to die because of it.
Cost of repairing Priory Hall €10million approx / Government pledge to overseas aid €60 million.
Don’t think money was the issue with the state, to be fair! It was a private development that crossed paths with a public body in terms of planning. But the state can’t just write a cheque that easily and its a legal nightmare for everyone! Thankfully the saga appears to have an end in sight!
And what is the cost of going after the IRA builder who built it? Surely he should have to pay most of the 10 million euros?
the ‘ira’ builder…………get a life you troll.
He’s bankrupt. I say chuck him in jail till he pays. ..oh no wait its ireland after all
He has claimed British citizenship to qualify for bankruptcy in the UK. Bet the Sinn Fein lads didn’t like that move by this former hunger striker. You have been v silent on this one Gerry
IRA/SF builder.
I live in Roscrea Co. Tipperary and Tom McFeely built a number if houses at the end of my road which have been abandoned since he became bankrupt and are now vandalised and people are dumping on the sight. The first few to leave began dumping and by that the place became inhospitable for the rest, they all seemed to be renting and towards the end were playing rent to an English company and I think there is only a couple of windows left all have been broken. What a waste of perfectly good houses. They’ve ruined our whole estate which I used to love living in now I am disgusted every day as I drive past those houses!!
We have a harrowing history of forced evictions in Ireland. I can’t believe that we have allowed ourselves -through Government (past and present), our banks and our property developers, but also through our own lack of foresight; to see ourselves as a people in a similar position again.
The Easter Rising leaders must be turning in their graves..
Is this what we have achieved with our unfettered destinies?
This story has nothing to do with forced evictions. Agenda much?
I really would hope that people could have a bit of compassion and understanding for these innocent victims for the lack of proper regulation and standards in the Construction industry. I agree that most people are very supportive and genuinely want this to end. My Child and 88 of her Neighbours have been to Hell and back since 2007 when these apartments first opened. The “Banks” had these death traps inspected on at least 89 separate occasions and no major faults were reported. Coleport The Construction company had a CV with a massive list of failed developments yet they were left with a license to continue to construct death traps. These people were failed by our Government, the Department for the Environment, the Developers and the Banks . It really all came down to GREED & PROFITEERING. If there is any justice most of these Bastards will roast in hell. Every single one of them should be named and shamed, they all have blood on their hands.
Sad state of affairs when it takes a man to take his own life before the government gets its finger out to sort the issue.
Stephanie Meehan should be paid to attend the meeting with the Minister and all the Priory Hall parties. She should have the power to say who said what at these meetings. She is such a capable lady and could cut through the delaying tactics bullshit of all these “experts” These guys need the constant reminder that the crazy delays from all sides have ruined and cost lives.
Brave lady.
I hope KBC choke on the money
That poor woman has been through a lot I hope it is all sorted out soon for that poor woman & the rest of priory hall residents
Not only should it all have been sorted…they ‘Priory Hall Homeowners’ should now also be compensated for the distress it has caused, small comport I know.. thoughts are with you still Stephanie.
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