David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a second question. We got a submission from the Irish Association of Social Workers on adult safeguarding. It is an important issue because it relates to the ability of the association to examine cases in nursing homes. Several members of this committee who were members of the Covid-19 committee raised this issue previously. I thought it was an excellent submission. It is something we should look at in the new year because a Bill is already in existence. It was progressed through the Seanad and is in the legislative programme. The Government is looking at a different Bill or maybe it is the same Bill. Anyway, the submission called for adult safeguarding to be put on a statutory footing and the possibility of an independent statutory agency to deal with this to be considered.

This is a major issue and one that the Minister for Health could work with us on. I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, directly on this. He is willing to work with the committee. It would be good for this committee to advance that issue for patient safety reasons.