Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Unfortunately, I have only a few minutes to raise the points I wish to make. Leas Cross has prompted much soul-searching on all sides of the House because if we are to be honest, the care of the elderly reflects on all of us. I have had personal experience of nursing homes as my parents lived in a nursing home in Killarney prior to their deaths. The care they received went above and beyond the call of duty. Leas Cross has had a negative effect on the staff, patients and families connected with nursing homes which are well run. Everybody is worrying now. It is important to point out that not every nursing home is like Leas Cross, although a good few homes are.

Inspectors of nursing are not entirely to blame either. In my area, unannounced inspections of nursing homes have been taking place for the past 20 years. Inspectors can call to a nursing home to inspect it during the morning, afternoon or night. However, inspectors have no legislative back-up to enable them to do anything if they find anything wrong. It was outrageous for the owner of Leas Cross to state that because he was not a medical man, he could not be sure what was going on in his nursing home. These owners charge considerable amounts of money and it is their responsibility to ensure that their patients are looked after properly. When nursing homes are found wanting, they should face significant fines. Many of the people who built nursing homes did so for tax relief and to make money, and the only way to hit them is through their pockets.

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