I too wish to support the motion and I welcome the people in the Gallery here. When they were doing good they were ostracised and vilified when they were actually working in the public interest. I regret that very much. We have been told, very eloquently, how some of these people lost their homes, lost their families and suffered an awful lot of mental hardship. I also want to welcome my group in the Gallery. They are from Gneeveguilla and Rathmore. We hope they enjoy the Dáil here today. I will not go into individual cases, but I know that these people would not have raised the issues they raised only they knew in their heart and soul they were doing good, which was to protect people who were being hurt in many different ways. Like Deputy Mattie McGrath I certainly want an open and transparent review of what happened during Covid. One of the things that hurt me to the core of my heart was when the sons and daughters and family members of elderly people were not let in to see them for two to three weeks before they got really bad. The most hurtful thing about it all was that when they were unconscious for their last few hours, and when they did not know anyone at all, everyone and anyone was let in then. These kinds of things were happening. We need to find out what was the purpose of that because it certainly was not to aid or help the old person who was sick. They did not know what in the name of God was happening to them. Many of these people had their senses and they were left there to die without anyone being let in to see them. That hurts me still to this day. We must have a transparent account of what happened or how that happened.

Sentiment score: 0.03