John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

We owe a great debt of gratitude to Professor Des O'Neill who compiled a comprehensive report on this matter. The "Prime Time" television programme and Professor O'Neill's work shone a light on a dark chapter in our history. I compare the latter with other dark chapters of institutional abuse we have examined in recent years.

Alarm bells should have rung when the Minister for Health and Children examined Leas Cross and saw what the for-profit sector could do to the most vulnerable people in society. At that stage, she should have reassessed her strategy. The position in this regard is similar to that which obtains in respect of co-location. The one thing those who operate private and for-profit hospitals want is to commodify and to treat people, some of whom are extremely vulnerable, as a mechanism to make more money.

Many of the for-profit nursing homes, which were incentivised by tax measures put in place by the Government, cut corners in many areas. I refer to the fact that they employed low-cost labour, that is, people from abroad who cannot speak English or communicate properly. The position here is similar to that which obtains in many nursing homes in the United States. One need only consider what has happened in Florida and elsewhere in that regard. Events relating to nursing homes here are a carbon copy of those that occurred in the US and the position will be the same as regards co-location of hospitals and for-profit medicine. In the United States, costs relating to insurance premiums have escalated and that will also happen here.

I do not believe the Minister for Health and Children has learned any lessons. However, I hope her eyes will be opened by the investigation that is to take place.

See this speech in context