There have been 84 independent reviews and investigations carried out by the HSE into acute and community operations since January 2019. The HSE took over the running of Dealgan House during the Covid outbreak where 23 people died. Will the Taoiseach support them and insist and ensure that they get closure by having an independent investigation into why these deaths occurred and why the HSE took over the running of that home? It is essential that it happens. On the question of costs being too high, which has been repeatedly put forward here by the Minister, if we can do 84 independent reviews for €622,000, the families believe we can do one into the deaths in Dealgan House.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter again. I know he feels strongly about it and has raised it on many occasions. I support an independent inquiry into the State's handling of the pandemic, not with a view to pointing fingers but with a view to getting to the truth, understanding what happened and learning lessons for the future. We are scoping that out at present. It will go beyond any particular nursing home or beyond health. It has to cover the economic response and other things too. We will have to see, as part of that inquiry, if we can look at particular sites, not only Dealgan nursing home but others too, and how that can work out.