David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will look back a little before I ask some questions about the solutions that Ms Justice Laffoy spoke about. I would support her statement that their assessment of the law on this area needs to be comprehensive and that the recommendations need to be solutions-focused, practical and workable, and provide adults at risk of abuse and neglect with the best possible legal protections. Obviously, all of this has to be done in a timely fashion as well.

In her opening statement Ms Justice Laffoy referenced the Adult Safeguarding Bill 2017, but she also went back further and referenced the A Report on Vulnerable Adults and the Law in 2006. In reality, this has been a long-standing issue. It is worth noting the journey that many people have travelled. Many people have looked at this long before I was a member of the Joint Committee on Health and long before I was looking at these issues. In 2007, the HSE established a social work elder abuse service.

It was set up to manage allegations of abuse and neglect in respect of over-65s. In 2014, there was an "RTÉ Investigates" programme on Áras Attracta. My understanding is that the report into that investigation has still not been published. We should seek answers about it from the HSE. It led to the establishing of the HSE's national safeguarding office and the safeguarding and protection social work service. Despite all of the investigations and commitments dating back to 2006 and 2007, we still do not have adult safeguarding legislation.

Has the commission engaged with the Irish Association of Social Workers, IASW? It made a very lengthy, comprehensive and helpful submission to our committee on this matter. I will read part of a paragraph from the submission that sums up how the IASW views this issue and the snail's pace of progress: "The IASW contends that the lack of progress both locally, in terms of a full, transparent and timely Áras Attracta investigation, and nationally in terms of the development of a comprehensive policy and legislative framework is reflective of a consistent lack of organisational and political will to safeguard adults in Ireland." Does Ms Justice Laffoy agree with this statement?