Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last week's "Prime Time" programme was shocking and disturbing to everybody across the island of Ireland. We need to ensure that the correct measures are put in place so that something like this does not happen again, even though, when I say "does not happen again", we are not sure whether it is happening now in other homes because the HIQA report on another care facility in County Meath for adults with an intellectual disability showed that there was over-restraint and poor practice, even when it was an announced visit.

It is also disturbing that there was a HIQA investigation report in February last where it made 59 recommendations, all of those recommendations were implemented, and it was visited again in May when everything seemed to be of good practice. HIQA got that one very wrong.

I welcome the appointment of Ms Leigh Gath as confidential recipient for whistleblowers in HSE funded services. I note she has been an outspoken advocate on behalf of those with disabilities. I wonder to whom the confidential recipient report. Will it be the Garda, the HSE, HIQA or this newly announced audit team? My party is of the view that there is need for a root and branch review of the care system for the intellectually challenged and the address of staffing must start with management. Oversight, with empathy and compassion across the board, must be guaranteed.

We need more detail on the audit team. What specific and distinct role will this team have? Considering it will have 900 units across the country to visit, will it be properly resourced? When will it be in place? Was HIQA not put in place to prevent poor care and abuse like this happening again? How will this audit team function differently to HIQA and root out and expose practices such as those seen on "Prime Time"? Will the visits be announced or will they be undercover? I will leave it at that for now.