A nursing home in the west that has been hit with a major outbreak of COVID-19 has staffing in place for the next three days.
The Dáil has heard that one resident at the home has died after contracting the virus, while 25 out of 27 residents have tested positive.
Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice claimed that seven out of eight nursing staff have also been infected, along with 10 out of 11 healthcare assistants.
He told deputies the nursing home contacted the HSE for additional help.
He said: "The words that were told was 'don't panic... get agency staff'.
"There was no agency staff, and the one nurse and the one care assistant that haven't tested positive did 14 hours yesterday."
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was made aware of the situation while it was being discussed, and left the Dáil chamber to intervene.
Speaking this afternoon, HSE Chief Operations Officer Anne O'Connor said they are monitoring the situation.
She explained: "We also now know that the rosters are covered, and staff are in place to provide support to the nursing home.
"We also have a dedicated manager providing daily support in terms of accessing staff."
