Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Last night's "Prime Time" programme on RTE revealed appalling care of the elderly in the Leas Cross nursing home, Swords, County Dublin. The "Prime Time" crew and Mr. Justice Clarke should be congratulated for looking after the public interest in this serious matter. "Prime Time" exposed a level of degrading and humiliating treatment of vulnerable and elderly people, which should not be tolerated in this or any other society. These people are at everybody's mercy at the end of their days. They built this economy when times were tough and those who featured on the programme last night have paid through the nose for the privilege of being, effectively, tortured.

The majority of nursing homes are run to a high standard but, clearly, a number fall below minimum standards and it is Government's responsibility to ensure high standards are met. Apart from the treatment of the patients in the Leas Cross nursing home, the programme also raised serious questions about the regulation of nursing homes by the Health Service Executive. It is completely and utterly inexcusable that nursing homes should be notified in advance of the date and time of inspections. Deputy O'Dowd has raised these matters for the past seven years and he has encountered a stone wall on every occasion. His file is a foot thick with documents provided following freedom of information requests but it has taken a national television programme to expose the concerns of many people about these matters.

Will the Taoiseach give a guarantee to immediately establish an independent nursing home inspectorate for all nursing homes, voluntary, private and public? Will he give an undertaking that, forthwith, the Health Service Executive will publish all nursing home inspection reports, which should be available free of charge on the Internet? Will he also give an undertaking that nursing homes are adequately staffed and resourced with appropriate professionals?

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