Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)

I thank the witnesses today from Safeguarding Ireland and the Irish Association of Social Workers for their statements, which were very comprehensive.

One thing struck me, and I am satisfied that they have extended the scope beyond what we were considering, which was the recent nursing home scandal and the other scandals, which involved institutional care. I want to be careful how I say this - I am happy that the witnesses have identified this as an endemic problem and that it is widespread, and that it is not just simply institutional but that it is in the community. I would say the vast majority of adult abuse is in the community rather than in institutions. The responsibility of regulation of institutions possibly comes under Government and under the HSA and HIQA, but there is widespread abuse. As a GP I would have seen this, and some of it can be very subtle. I am taken by the issues around both deprivation of liberty and the financial abuse of people. We often associate it only with older people, but it is people of all age groups who are vulnerable, and it is people who perhaps are living with disability.

I am also struck by the chaotic system we have at the moment, with no one organisation having overall responsibility for the investigation of adult abuse. The witnesses quite rightly point out in both their documents that there is no one gate for people to go through. There is the HSE and HIQA. I note that officials from HIQA were here a couple of weeks ago and they would have been quite clear that they had no role in individual complaints but rather institutional complaints. They were looking for an extension of powers. However, it is clear from both organisations' documents that the legislation needs to be progressed, and that there needs to be a setting up of an adult safeguarding authority that would have an overarching role the investigation of this.

I am also taken by the number of complaints that Safeguarding Ireland receives and can do nothing but send them to various institutions and there is no co-ordination. Both organisations' documents have put that out very clearly, and that is a job of work. I will first ask a question of Safeguarding Ireland and Ms Rickard-Clarke. I thank her for coming today. What does she feel are the things we need to do immediately to get this right? The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, has committed to progressing and expediting the safeguarding legislation. It has been around since 2017, however, and it has crystallised in the nursing home scandals of the past number of months that we really need to progress this. I will ask that question first.