Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)

I second the motion. I thank my Labour Party colleagues, particularly Deputies Wall and Sherlock, for their work on it.

I do not for a minute doubt the Minister of State's personal view on this issue but what we saw in the "RTÉ Investigates" programme proved there absolutely are systemic issues within HIQA. The fact HIQA took more than four months to investigate issues identified by RTÉ is beyond belief. We are talking about care of our much loved older people, who deserve dignity and respect as they age.

Following the programme, staff members of private nursing homes in my county of Cork made contact with my office to inform me of very serious concerns they have raised with management and, in some instances, directly with HIQA. Often, those concerns go unnoticed and receive no response. Accountability is crucial when it comes to care of older people. Families and staff members across the country have spoken about HIQA's failure in its statutory remit to investigate and resolve issues when they arise locally. Ensuring procedures and processes are in place to protect the vulnerable in society is the job of HIQA but it is not happening.

The motion calls on the Government to provide HIQA with stronger enforcement powers. Its staff must have the ability to perform unannounced inspections and see for themselves what the reality is. If we are real with ourselves for a minute, we will acknowledge that HIQA announcing that an inspection will take place makes no sense. The polish is out, the forms are signed and appropriate settings are put in place. If inspectors go in unannounced, they will see for themselves what is actually happening in organisations across the country. It is important to recognise that there are genuine, caring and hard-working care assistants, nurses and doctors working in nursing homes. However, that is not the case across the entire sector.

The motion has a specific focus on the fair deal scheme. That scheme is not fit for purpose. We must introduce a statutory home care scheme that allows our old people to live with dignity and respect in their home and community. The overall focus is on the care being provided to older people.

In a nursing home in my home town of Mallow, as Deputy Sherlock referred to, the kitchen staff are being given the option of redeployment or they will be got rid of completely. The job they have been doing will now be the job of the care assistants. A complete line of work is being taken out. Care assistants may now have to feed people who cannot get out of bed, a job which was previously done by the kitchen staff.

This is one of a number of serious systemic issues. As I said, I do not doubt the Minister of State's personal opinion on this but he has an opportunity, within his Department, to change what is ongoing and to address the systemic failures in care for our older people. HIQA's role in that care must be made an absolute priority for him, his Department and the Government. Families across the country are calling on him to do that.

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