Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)

It is unbelievable and unacceptable that older people would be subjected to the type of environment portrayed in the programme. It was horrendous viewing for all of us but particularly for families whose elderly relatives are in nursing home care. For the sake of all our elderly citizens who reside in nursing homes and their families, it is exceedingly important that the commitments given in recent days are honoured, in particular with regard to action and ongoing monitoring at Leas Cross, and also regarding the independent inspectorate for all nursing homes.

It must be said that there are many excellent care facilities and nursing homes in all areas and many wonderful nurses and care staff who provide an excellent standard of care and attention for our elderly friends and relatives. It is extremely important in this debate that we have balance in what we say to ensure that we do not make the mistake of tarring everyone with the same brush.

In light of this week's revelations, there is no doubt urgent changes are needed to ensure the nursing home inspection teams cease the practice of providing advance notice of pending inspections. It is ludicrous for any inspectorate to give notice of a pending visit as this will naturally ensure that major advance preparation work is done to have all in place, including staff ratios, for the time of the visit. It is akin to providing this year's leaving certificate students with the exam papers a week in advance. Until this week, I had presumed the nursing home inspectorate operated on the same basis as the child care inspectorate, in that it could arrive to inspect a facility completely unannounced and at any time. Anything less than this type of inspection is a waste of time and the nonsense of advance notification must cease immediately.

It is important to note that most families care for their elderly relatives in their own homes for as long as possible. When this is no longer a possibility, they are dependent on the availability of high quality long-term residential care.

I thank the Minister of State for his positive comments regarding the wonderful work of the Senior Helpline which is operated by the Summerhill Active Retirement Association from its County Meath base. Since 1999 the helpline has received more than 10,000 calls from lonely older people nationwide. It reminds us all of the importance of communication with the elderly in our community.

I welcome the Government's work in respect of the home care grant scheme which operates on a pilot basis in many areas, providing support for families caring for the elderly in the community on the same basis as nursing home subvention support. This pilot grant scheme has not yet been extended to families in County Meath who care for elderly relatives in their own homes. Will the Minister of State ensure provision of the scheme in County Meath at an early date as it would be a marvellous help to these families?

This week provided a wake-up call with regard to nursing homes and from now on we should hope to see changes across the board. The two most important issues are the ongoing monitoring of the situation in Leas Cross and the commitment with regard to the independent inspectorate.

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