Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I can respond to Deputy Cullinane's questions on HIQA having these powers by confirming that it does not currently have the powers under this Bill. Under section 9, HIQA has powers to intervene but only in very specific circumstances. I engaged directly with HIQA on one particular patient safety incident, for example, and the point was made to me that, in this case, which was not a good one, it had no power to intervene. It will now. This legislation will give it the additional powers it needs.

The Deputy quite rightly raised the question of neglect as opposed to an individual incident where HIQA can go in. That is being dealt with but it is outside the scope of this Bill. It is being dealt with through the complaints work that is going on. It is quite likely that new legislation will be brought forward around complaints, including, I imagine, repealing exactly what Deputy Shortall seeks to repeal through amendment No. 20 around the 2004 Act. That is where issues of neglect can be dealt with.

To Deputy Shortall's question on HIQA resources, I will get her the detail. HIQA will be provided with resources. Its remit is expanding in quite a few areas based on this Bill and it will be resourced accordingly. I will get back to the Deputy regarding the private nursing homes review. One thing I found quite alarming is the lack of standards for private nursing homes in matters such as building regulations. It is something the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has spent a lot of time on. We are bringing in HIQA as regards patient safety but guidelines on the architectural design of nursing homes, communal areas, single room occupancy, etc., are also very important. There is a programme for Government commitment around a commission on ageing. That is one area where some of the issues raised by the Deputy can and should be addressed.

Finally, to Deputy O'Donoghue's point, the changes HIQA is making are important and are aimed at improving patient care. However, they come at a real cost to the nursing homes, particularly, as the Deputy said, the smaller ones. I can confirm that in just the past few weeks the nursing homes renewing with the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, under the fair deal programme have seen quite a significant increase in the weekly payment per resident, and that is in recognition of exactly the point the Deputy has raised. Furthermore, payments are going out under the inflation fund or the energy fund in the winter to these nursing homes, again in recognition of the fact that their costs have gone up and that a lot of the smaller nursing homes in particular are really struggling to pay the bills based on the previous fair deal rates that are in place.

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