Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this issue. I remain deeply concerned to learn that HIQA had to cancel the registration of Lucan Lodge Nursing Home. The focus at this time is ensuring the welfare of the 70 residents in this private nursing home during this difficult time.

Lucan Lodge Nursing Home is situated in a residential area in Lucan. The provider was registered as a designated centre under the Health Act 2007 to provide for the care of up to 74 residents over 18 years, male and female, with 24-hour nursing care available.

The designated centre is a residential care setting operated, as the Deputy said, by Passage Healthcare International (Ireland) Limited. Passage Healthcare also operated Sally Park Nursing Home in Firhouse. Sally Park was deregistered in February 2024 due to non-compliance with regulations in several areas, in particular in relation to aspects of fire safety. Passage Healthcare had been in examinership, but my understanding is that the receiver has removed the protection of examinership and a liquidator will be appointed.

HIQA inspections at Lucan Lodge have uncovered significant issues, including that the registered provider did not ensure a safe and appropriate premises was provided in line with its conditions of registration and did not ensure that the centre was appropriately resourced to ensure appropriate care delivery in line with residents' assessed needs. That is one of the issues that we must look at. Anyone can google the previous HIQA report on Lucan Lodge, which set out very many concerns. HIQA informed me, as Minister of State, and the HSE last Thursday that it would have to deregister the facility. It happened as quickly as that. It also informed the provider. It is complicated by the fact the provider does not own the premises, which is leased from a third party. This is something we see a lot.

The chief inspector of HIQA has taken action to cancel the registration of Lucan Lodge Nursing Home as a care provider with effect from 10 a.m. last Friday. The HSE, liaising with Lucan Lodge Nursing Home, HIQA and the staff, took interim charge of the nursing home effective from 10.01 a.m. that day. HSE staff have completed an initial assessment process on the clinical care of residents. The HSE will act as the interim registered provider to support residents and their families during this time.

On Tuesday, I met with the new regional health organiser for the area in question and the chief officer who is still in place in the area to discuss the nursing home. I have written to the HSE asking it to explore all options because 74 beds is a large number of long-term residential care beds to lose from any particular area. We are not even a week into the situation. I also spoke to the member of staff from the HSE who is on-site. Since Tuesday, she has been communicating with families to try to reassure them that the HSE is on-site and that the best care will be provided to the residents. It is also supporting the staff. I am open to correction but the details I have been given indicate that a minimum of 25 of the staff are from outside the EU and have permits associated with Lucan Lodge Nursing Home. There are a lot of complicating factors here. I am keeping a very close eye on the matter.

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