Laois TD goes back to the day job to help local nursing home in Coronavirus pandemic

A Laois TD has gone back to his original job to help out a local nursing home during the Coronavirus pandemic.

LaoisToday understands that Portarlington TD Cathal Berry has volunteered his medical expertise at Oakdale Nursing Home in recent weeks.

Mr Berry is a doctor and a former army ranger – and he has been volunteering his services at the weekends in the nursing home to help care for the patients.

The Portarlington based facility was in the news in recent weeks as the Covid-19 outbreak saw them lose several staff due to illness and left them on the brink of closure.

But at the end of April, Valerie Moore, the General Manager, confirmed that the HSE would relocate staff to the home to help them care for their residents – who number almost 50.

And in Oakdale’s time of need, a number of people have come forward to help – with the newly elected Independent TD among them.

Mr Berry, who was elected for the first time to the Dail back in February, has since joined the Regional Independent Group alongside fellow Independents Seán Canney, Peter Fitzpatrick, Noel Grealish, Michael Lowry, Verona Murphy, Denis Naughten, Matt Shanahan and Aontu’s Peadar Tóibín.

Speaking in the Dail yesterday, he told how not a single former member of the Defence Forces has been rehired to join the fight against Covid-19.

He told the Dáil the terms and conditions for re-enlisting were ‘pretty appalling’ and that returning members would be fined €300 if they did not fulfil a three-year contract.

Mr Berry said: “We all voted for legislation here on March 26 and a sizeable chunk of that legislation to do with the Defence Forces and re-listing and re-hiring former members of the Defence Forces.

“Seven weeks later I think it’s reasonable to assume that maybe 40 or 50 or 60 soldiers have been rehired but the reality is not a single has been rehired to date.

“We are not even close. No interviews have taken place, no medical have taken place, no garda vetting has taken place.

“That’s an issue that we need to focus on. There’s a number of reasons why no one has been re-hired but the main reason is that terms and conditions are pretty appalling.

“If you are a former solider and are fully trained and you wish to return to the Defence Forces to fight Covid, you will be offered a three-year contract and, incredibly, if you don’t stay the three years you will be fined by the Department of Defence €300.”

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The post Laois TD goes back to the day job to help local nursing home in Coronavirus pandemic appeared first on Laois Today.

source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/05/15/laois-td-goes-back-to-the-day-job-to-help-local-nursing-home-in-coronavirus-pandemic/