Two covid evaluation sessions attended by only 13 people

A spokesman said five sessions of the covid evaluation have been held so far. File picture: Andy Gibson

The covid-19 evaluation has begun meeting bereaved people but only 13 attended two meetings in Limerick and Dublin. 

A Cork woman who travelled to Limerick from her home in Kerry said: “I’m not looking for grief counselling, I’m looking for something bigger to come from this and that lessons will be learned.” 

Mary Sheehy lost three relatives who died in healthcare facilities during the pandemic. 

“I need to feel that we will never find ourselves in this position again, and right now I don’t feel that,” she said, explaining that visiting restrictions were a struggle.

“We need laws in place to ensure this does not happen again.” 

Ms Sheehy was one of just four people who attended the Limerick meeting. She said she hopes that evaluation chair Professor Anne Scott can deliver change “for us and the likes of us”.

Kieran Brady travelled from Wexford to the Dublin meeting, which was attended by nine people. He carried a framed photograph of his father, who died in a nursing home.

He felt rushed during a group-work section, saying: “The facilitators kept coming back over and asking, ‘Are you nearly finished now, we just want to move on’”.

His hope is Prof Scott will recommend a public inquiry, saying: “I feel so strongly about the ‘meaningful Christmas’ (in 2020). I want to know who decided on that.” 

He left deflated and said: “It felt like they did it so they could say they listened and now it will move on.” 

Grace, who didn’t want to use her full name, attended the same session in memory of her father, who died in a Wicklow nursing home.

“My father had a rough time and it wasn’t fair,” she said.

“I thought (the facilitators) gave us a chance to say what we needed to say. There were some horrendous stories and if that goes into the report that would be welcome. They told the truth, that is what happened.” 

All three said the evaluation can only be judged once it reports. 

A spokesman said five sessions have been held so far. 

“The overall attendance at these private group sessions have been in line with the number of people who engaged directly with the evaluation expressing their interest in engaging in this particular element of the consultation,” he said.