Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, although I would have preferred the Minister for Health and Children to have been here so that she could hear first hand what is going on in the nursing homes for which she has responsibility. The next of kin of two of my constituents recently received curt letters from St. Margaret's nursing home telling them that two elderly people would have to leave the home. The letter states:

Dear X

It is with regret that I am giving you notice to find alternative accommodation for Mary.

The Health Service Executive have been informed of this decision and will help you find alternative accommodation for Mary.

If I can be of any assistance please contact me on (01) 8322212.

Your Sincerely

The signatory of the letter did not identify his or her role or position in the nursing home. It was a simple, typed circular letter with blank spaces in which the Christian names of the addressee and the patient could be hand written. It was not even a decent mail merge. There was no explanation as to why the elderly patient had to leave so abruptly. There was no reference to Mary's husband who has multiple medical problems and who has been living in the same nursing home for the past seven years. There was no expression of appreciation for those who had been resident in the nursing home for years and who had handed over their savings and pensions or for their families who visited them there regularly.

Landlord and tenant relationships are regulated by law. The landlord is obliged to specify a period of time as statutory notice before he or she can ask the paying tenant to leave. Apparently, no such rights are available to patients in nursing homes.

My constituents are husband and wife. It appears that one may be allowed to stay and one may have to leave. That gives rise to problems. If it is the case that the HSE has instructed the nursing home to take a particular course of action — we have seen reports in the media on this nursing home and on others in respect of which the HSE is suspending their activities — then it should explain that to the patients and the next of kin and ensure a patient-friendly approach is taken when dealing with the problems. In any set of circumstances, the HSE should supervise and ensure the actions of a nursing home are carried out within proper agreed parameters.

Will the Minister for Health and Children spell out the particular circumstances surrounding the removal of these and other patients from St. Margaret's nursing home which has a total of 26 patients? So far, we have been told ten public patients will be moved but there is no sign of private patients being moved. What exactly is the situation? What steps will be taken by the Minister's Department to facilitate these patients, who have been asked to move and whose next of kin have been informed, in new accommodation? Will she indicate what steps she proposes to take to ensure this does not happen again? It causes enormous distress to patients and family members who do not know what is going on in that particular nursing home. They do not know why their next of kin is being moved out at short notice.

The nature of the letter written is an absolute disgrace. We need a decent dignified service and the Minister of Health and Children is responsible for ensuring that. I hope the Minister will take that on board and that we will get a comprehensive answer on these matters.

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