Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their opening statements. I will ask questions in the order the witnesses spoke and will begin with Mr. Healy.

Mr. Healy's statement referred to 60 persons employed. Are they employed on a full-time basis and is this their whole job? If not, can Mr. Healy express it in terms of a whole-time equivalent, WTE? It strikes me that it is very good news if this is their whole job but if it is not, I would be interested in knowing the extent to which they concentrate on that area, especially in light of the figures before us which indicate that there are potentially 32,000 older persons experiencing some form of mistreatment. Staffing levels might seem adequate but when one stacks it up against that large number, one would wonder. Sage recommends that the HSE teams would operate to the fullest extent possible within the private home care sector, which indicates that it is not operating to the fullest extent possible now. Does Mr. Healy have a view on why this is the case and should the HSE teams operate to the fullest extent possible? Would this require additional staffing? Are there barriers to that work being carried out?

Ms Rickard-Clarke stated there is a breakdown of the abuse and mistreatment which takes place in the home versus that occurring in residential care settings. Can she indicate if there is a difference in the severity between the home care and the residential care settings? Can she elaborate on this?

The Sage submission referred to a total disregard for the right of residents to have advocates. That worries me, as someone who was an advocate in my previous life. When a person is vulnerable in that way, his or her need for an advocate and to have someone in his or her corner becomes very acute. Can the witnesses advise us on what line or direction could be taken to improve that level of advocacy and empowerment for older persons? Is it something that would come from giving HIQA more powers in the area, possibly in regulation? Having read the submissions and heard them this morning, I wonder if there is something I have missed in terms of how we could improve that because I found that figure on the extent to which the right to have an advocate had been completely disregarded to be shocking.

My question for Sage might be a little cheeky but does it feel the private nursing home sector will welcome with open arms the beefed-up role of the protection teams within their sectors? Is it an area where Sage anticipates resistance? If so, do the witnesses have any views in how this might be overcome. One could make a big political speech about how Government is not investing in the public service, but more and more people find themselves in the private home care sector. Since it is becoming more of a reality for people, it becomes even more important that we have an understanding of the views within that sector. I appreciate there are no representatives of that sector present but will Sage give its view?

My final question is a general one for all the witnesses. According to newspaper reports, there will be mandatory reporting of child abuse, which is to be welcomed. Would there be any benefit if this was extended to the area of elder abuse and the abuse of vulnerable persons?