Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)

I thank the Minister of State for his opening remarks. What has concerned me and many others since the airing of this damning and tragic show is that when I speak to those who are working in the sector, and when we speak to families, what I consistently hear is that this is the tip of the iceberg. The fear that is out there in the sector, among the staff and families, is about what we do not know. What is left to be found out about this? It is of real concern and the Minister of State knows this; he does not need me to tell him.

When we have broken policy, and when we have a broken system, then we cannot but expect to have a broken culture. What the show has done is put a magnifying glass on a severely fractured elder care sector and system. When we as a State allow our responsibility to be taken over by the private market, we run the gauntlet because what happens is that those whom we trust to care for our most vulnerable, who stand to make a significant profit from it, will treat it as a commodity.

What do we ask the Government to do? We are not going to overturn an 80% private system overnight. It is of incredible importance that robust policy and legislation be in place so that elderly people are not failed, staff in the sector are adequately trained and resourced, and when these situations arise, the bodies we trust in the State to react have the teeth to do so with meaning. It starts with fixing the broken policy and the broken legislation, so that we hope to improve the culture and no longer fail those vulnerable people in our society. It is about dignity and human rights. It is about our values.

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