Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Last Friday Professor O'Neill's report was published on the Leas Cross nursing home where more than 105 people died. It stated that no judgment had been formed where there is a difference of opinion. This is not to say nobody made a judgment; it is a handy, catch-all stating no judgment has been formed.

Opinions differed and patients died, all on the watch of this Government. They were mistreated, neglected and they died. In China this is called human rights abuse, here it is called systems failure. The Government is supposed to prevent such occurrences, never mind stop them. The Departments responsible in this case came, saw, read, watched and knew, yet did nothing. They are still doing nothing. We heard about the industrial schools and how this could never happen again, but it has and, according to the report, it could be happening elsewhere around the country.

In fact, the only thing that has changed is time because, on the evidence of the report, we have merely swapped institutional abuse of our young for institutional abuse of our aged, which is a national scandal. Stopping this requires a Government that takes action because it has first taken responsibility. This means naming Ministers and public servants who must take responsibility and be accountable.

Wrongs were not merely done and systems did not merely fail; people carried out those wrongs. On the Taoiseach's and the Government's watch we have failed the elderly and continue to do so. This is not only about money, as the Taoiseach knows, it is about lives. Is there anyone to blame? Is there anyone on the Government side of the House who will accept any modicum of responsibility or accountability for what we witnessed, knew and saw on our television screens as exposed by Deputy O'Dowd, "Prime Time" and others?

The Health Service Executive, HSE, has shown no accountability. It suggested, if one read the report and the submissions, there is no evidence people did anything wrong. The evidence is that a combination of factors came together resulting in a wrong outcome. That is some indictment.

I ask the Taoiseach, as Head of Government, for his opinion on this. Who does he think is responsible and accountable and what does he intend to do about it?

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