James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue. A priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and I is to ensure that the most vulnerable in society have a voice. It was extraordinary that there was no inspectorate to safeguard standards in the care and support for people with disabilities, many of whom cannot speak up for themselves. It is interesting that new people can enter an environment and see with new eyes protocols that require revision. Without trying to prejudge the outcome of this investigation, I believe in a general sense that it is always good to have an outside authority to monitor and support the service so as to ensure that it meets the highest standards and keeps up to date with the modern approach to providing care for people who require it in that setting as opposed to somewhere that is everyone's preference, that is, at home or in a more independent setting.

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