Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

This is a set of extraordinary circumstances. Googling this operator, it claims to be a multibillion dollar health provider in the United States. It is not some makeshift provider by any means. It has enormous assets behind it. Alarm bells are ringing about its very rudimentary fire compliance both in Sally Park and Lucan Lodge nursing homes. There are very serious questions to be asked of the provider.

The residents are at the heart of this. Some have been in the nursing home for a considerable period and some are receiving end-of-life care. This is extremely sensitive. I hope a solution can be found to keep Lucan Lodge open.

I got an email 20 minutes ago from the owner of Lucan Lodge stating they have written to the HSE. They want the facility to be kept open for the residents. They have written to the HSE setting out what needs to be done to keep the home open. That is important. What we do not want is for Lucan Lodge to close because it would have a detrimental effect on everyone involved.

There are two possible solutions. One is that a new operator is found and the other is that the HSE directly intervenes and either buys the home or runs it directly to keep the residents and staff in place. As the Minister of State said, there are other complications in relation to the staff.

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