Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As far as I know there is not, but I know from my experience in recent weeks in my new position in this Ministry that certain centres might not be up to standard in terms of their physical viability, although priority is being given to addressing that issue. It is more about dealing with outdated services, and my view is that they have been prioritised. I believe there are around 165 places on that particular list.

The purpose of the Bill is not to change any of the fundamentals of the HIQA inspection, regulation and registration regime, which is working very well. HIQA regulation has brought a cultural change to the sector and has steadily led to improvements in the standards of care provided by facilities. This Bill will simply extend the deadline by which residential centres must be registered in order to allow HIQA the necessary time to ensure that every centre is inspected fully and properly. HIQA will in no way be limited in the application of its powers and sanctions. I want to reassure parents, families and TDs interested in this section that it will retain its ability to inspect and, if necessary, cancel the registration of a residential centre that persistently fails to meet the required standards. I hope I have addressed the concerns expressed in the debate and that the Bill will receive broad support from all sides of the House.

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