Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister on his new role and wish him the very best. I mean that. As others have said, many people are really depending on him and the system needs all the support it can get. I thank the Minister for coming here to answer questions on the extremely important issue of the Kilbrew nursing home and the care of Ultan Meehan. His family want this issue raised at the very highest level. There has been extensive media coverage of this case in recent days but it is important that we remember there is a family at the centre which has lost a son and a husband. Our thoughts are with Mary Bartley Meehan and the wide circle of family and friends of her late and beloved husband, Ultan Meehan, and her late and beloved son, Adrian Bartley.

I was shocked and appalled when the details of Ultan Meehan's case came to my attention. Many but not all of the details are now in the public domain. Anyone who has read or heard them will be shocked and appalled. In early June, I contacted the HSE, HIQA and the previous Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, on the case. I spoke with officials in HIQA who advised me that an on-site inspection was being conducted on 4 June. This was a planned inspection. I was advised that I would receive a copy of the report in due course. I await that report. The HSE responded to say that it has no governance or oversight over private nursing homes as they are private organisations. The then Minister responded on 9 June to outline the legislative and regulatory framework and to acknowledge that HIQA has no legal role in examining individual complaints but takes a risk-based approach to regulation. He confirmed that he had requested the HSE to follow up directly with the nursing home in question and asked that the Department of Health be apprised of the situation and any actions taken. That report was to be shared with me but I have not yet received it.

This case raises several issues. It raises very serious questions around the care provided to Mr. Meehan at Kilbrew nursing home. It raises immediate questions about the care provided to other residents, past and present, in that setting. My clear understanding is that there is more information to come to light. It raises serious questions about the wider issue of regulation and oversight of private nursing homes. It will come as a shock to many people that the HSE has no role in the oversight of private nursing homes while HIQA cannot examine individual complaints, even those of an extreme nature.

I have specific questions and would appreciate specific answers. When was the Department of Health or the HSE first notified of concerns at Kilbrew nursing home or relating to the care of Mr. Meehan, and by whom? We understand that nursing homes around the country were under great pressure and crying out for help during Covid-19. Was that the case with Kilbrew? Has the Minister or his Department received the aforementioned reports from HIQA and the HSE? If so, what did they say about the situation in Kilbrew nursing home and any actions taken? How does the Minister propose to proceed? Will he commit tonight to a full independent rapid review of the clinical care provided to Ultan Meehan and related issues at Kilbrew nursing home? This should be done immediately and that is the wish of the family. It should be headed by a doctor, a consultant specialist in the area of medicine for the elderly. Will the Minister commit to that tonight?

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