Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am very alarmed by Mr. Tadhg Daly's correspondence. It is regrettable that he will not be here to assist us with his inquiries. Mr. Daly will be aware that we wish to speak to him about a number of issues and newspaper accounts of a meeting that occurred in October 2015, which I understand he convened. These raise very serious issues. We understand that issues regarding using a collective effort to bring the State to the table to extract more money from the fair deal scheme were considered and debated at this meeting. We also understand that methods of increasing voluntary or individual contributions in private nursing homes were also discussed. Of course, it is not appropriate - in fact, it is illegal - for a collective effort to be entered into in those matters, which is alarming. The whole area of conflicts of interest is also alarming. As we have seen reports of it, we know that Mr. Brian McEnery, the serving chairman of the board of HIQA, also attended this meeting.

We cannot overstate the seriousness of the matters that arise. Mr. Daly needs to present himself to the committee. He will be aware that we are in receipt of documentation and that we are in receipt of an email he sent to members of Nursing Homes Ireland. He will be aware that we are in receipt of correspondence in which he directs those same people to destroy the minutes we have. All of this is very disturbing. While I know Mr. Daly would be presenting himself as a voluntary witness, I am sure he would not contest the fact that large sums of public money find their way into private voluntary nursing homes, all of which are members of his organisation. It is essential and it is in the interests of Nursing Homes Ireland that he present himself before us.