Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is only right and proper that there should be quality nursing home services available for people who have to avail of them, underpinned by a proper system of registration and inspection. Deputy Martin is well aware of the age and structure of many of the older public homes around the country, which have evolved from county homes into other structures such as we have today.

There is no privatisation by stealth going on here. The nurses and personnel who worked in the public homes for so many years gave wonderful service in systems that are inadequate today but served a purpose over many years. HIQA has clearly said that the discussions going on between the HSE and itself arise from public units around the country that are currently registered but due for de-registration in 2015 or 2016. HIQA has indicated that a number of these facilities do not fully meet the standards one would expect in a modern nursing home. That is not surprising given that the age of some of them is in excess of 100 years. There are 119 public nursing homes, as Deputy Martin is well aware.

Over the last years, the capital programme of the HSE has, within the resources available to it, brought a number of the public long-stay units to full infrastructural standards as required by HIQA, and it will continue to invest in long-stay units over the time ahead. Last year, €36 million was allocated in the capital plan for the continued upgrade of public residential facilities and €122.34 million has been allocated for the period ahead. I also understand from the Department of Health and the HSE that there is adequate flexibility for solutions to be found, both within the terms of the existing legislative proposals and through discussions currently going on between the HSE and HIQA, and between HIQA and the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch. The HSE has been working with HIQA over the last months to meet the de-registration requirements of the units involved, and the Department of Health is in regular contact with the HSE on this issue.

It is true to say that the fabric and structure of many of the public nursing homes is very old in the sense that some of them are 100 years old. Efforts have been made over the last years to bring some of them up to the standards HIQA requires. It is true to say they are not all up to standard now. They have been identified by HIQA, discussions are going on between HIQA, the HSE and the Minister of State, and €122 million has been allocated from this year to bring them up to full infrastructural standards. The flexibility within the existing system will hopefully allow for a service to be provided and continue to be provided until the facilities can be brought up to full HIQA standards in the time ahead and the law can allow for that to happen.

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