Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Of course I am appalled at the negative reports that were published about some disability centres. Often, there are a number of issues as to why care is substandard. Resources are often only part of the picture. Deputy Keaveney will be aware that Áras Attracta was very well staffed but, none the less, there were major failings in care.

First, more than 500 reports on residential centres were published in 2014. We probably only heard about six or seven of those, or perhaps ten, because they were the bad ones but let us not forget about the 490 or so that are very good, and the very good people who provide an excellent standard of care in residential centres. We should point out as well that before November 2013, there were no inspections. The sector was totally unregulated. I do not believe for a second that the problems did not exist during the 14 years in which Deputy Keaveney's party was in office but it did not regulate the sector. It was left unregulated and people were totally vulnerable and unprotected. He did not give a damn about them whatsoever. It is only since November 2013 that the sector is now regulated and properly inspected. Things are changing now, whereas for 14 years under a Government of which the Deputy's party was involved, which had massive funding available to it, the Government did not even want to look inside those centres to know what was going on.

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