Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann,

concerned at:

the failure of the Government to publish Professor O'Neill's report into deaths at Leas Cross nursing home;

the failure of the Government to fulfil promises made in this House by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health and Children to introduce legislation to provide for an independent statutorily-based inspection regime for all nursing homes; and

the lack of information and transparency about standards applying to nursing homes;

calls on the Government to:

immediately publish Professor O'Neill's report;

bring forward the promised legislation as a matter of urgency; and

make all inspection reports directly available to residents of nursing homes and their families and accessible to the public, free of charge.

I wish to share time with Deputies Crawford, Connaughton and McManus. When the House discusses Private Members' motions concerning the health services, all Members get a sense of déjÀ vu. The same territory is gone over repeatedly, with little or no change or improvement to the health services. The Private Members' motions I have tabled in this House included one on the North Eastern Health Board. Today however, Members discussed the report on the death of P. J. Walsh in the very same area debated in a Private Members' motion nearly two years ago.

More than one year ago, the House debated a Private Members' motion on the need for a social services inspectorate, which again is central to tonight's debate. Moreover, the House has debated another issue central to tonight's debate in a Private Members' motion, namely, accident and emergency departments. Hence, there is a sense of déjÀ vu and of the present Government doing little to improve the health services. This is certainly the case in respect of debates on Private Members' motions.

I wish to outline a brief history as to what has happened regarding care of the elderly in the past five years, as this is the basis of tonight's motion. It started well, with the publication in 2001 of the health strategy, Quality and Fairness — a Health System for You. The strategy included the establishment of a social service inspectorate on a statutory basis, as well as the promise of legislation regarding elderly patients' entitlements. As it was published nearly five years ago, one would expect some progress regarding these issues. However, there has been little.

In July 2003, the former Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Callely, who championed himself as a man who looked after the elderly, made a statement. In the Official Report, 1 July 2003, vol. 570, col. 474, he stated: "[At] present health boards are involved in the preparation of draft standards of care for residential institutions for older people". However, like the former Minister of State himself, this appears to have gone by the wayside.

Although the process of revolutionising the health services was begun enthusiastically by the Government, the first storm clouds began to gather in or around 2003. This was also when the Mercer and O'Shea reports regarding the future funding of care for the elderly were published. The then Minister again promised immediate action. Unfortunately, by 2004, the former Minister for Health and Children in question, Deputy Martin, had his own problems to deal with because of the Travers report's publication. The latter both demonstrated the ineptitude of Ministers in respect of the health services and of care of the elderly in particular, and showed how little was being done by the Government.

Hence, while matters regarding the health service began well in 2001, by 2004 things were going downhill rapidly and one can see why. In 2005, another watershed took place when the "Prime Time Investigates" documentary exposed what was happening in nursing homes. Major contributions from all senior Ministers involved are extant and it will do no harm to put them back on the record.

The Taoiseach, in the Official Report, 31 May 2005, vol. 603, col. 495, stated: "the relevant Bill to establish the social services inspectorate on a statutory basis to deal with both private and public nursing homes will be published later this year". During a debate on a Fine Gael Private Members' motion calling for the establishment of an independent inspectorate for all nursing homes, the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Seán Power, who is present, stated: "The social services inspectorate will be established on a statutory basis" — Official Report, 31 May 2005, vol. 603, col. 554.

See this speech in context