Tánaiste Micheál Martin.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the Government is close to finalising the plans and terms of reference for an inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He was responding to Opposition TDs in the Dáil after the support organisation Care Champions protested outside Leinster House today on behalf of families impacted by the pandemic.
Mr Martin said he has “no issue with meeting and will meet this representative group.”
He added that the “Government is close to finalising a Covid inquiry. As I said, the objective of an inquiry into Covid and how the country managed it should be an evaluation to make sure that when the next pandemic comes, or other type of emergency, we will be well prepared for it.
“We should learn from the mistakes that were made but also what was done well, and do that through a proper, constructive evaluation methodology. Otherwise, in the next crisis, people will only be watching their backs instead of making decisions.”
Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd raised the issue and Sinn Féin spokesman on health David Cullinane said: “Care Champions is an organisation that speaks for and represents many people who lost loved ones in care settings during Covid, as the Tánaiste knows. Its members are protesting outside the Dáil today.
“They have a number of asks, one of which is that we have, to use their words, a full and transparent inquiry into the Government’s response to the pandemic and continuing care issues. They are asking for urgent reforms to ensure adequate resources, staffing and regulation for the care sector, including strong safeguarding legislation, care partner legislation, which exists in the North, and mandatory reporting for staff.
“Does the Tánaiste intend to meet Care Champions, or has the Taoiseach arranged to meet Care Champions, so they can hear at first hand what its members are telling us? I have met them previously and will meet them again today. It is very important that we hear from the families of people who unfortunately lost loved ones in care settings, and that the inquiry that is in place suits their needs and objectives.”
Mr Martin said he hoped the inquiry, which will last for at least 18 months, will have a “constructive” methodology to ensure they learn from the mistakes and what was done well during the pandemic.
