Results 21-40 of 6,051 for speaker:Paul McAuliffe

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: This morning, we engage with the Health Information and Quality Authority to discuss its 2023 financial statements. From the authority, I welcome Ms Fitzgerald, Mr. Finbarr Colfer, chief inspector designate, Mr. Sean Angland, chief operating officer, Mr. Sean Egan, director of healthcare regulation and Ms Susan Cliffe, deputy chief inspector with responsibility for older persons services....

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: With the agreement of committee I will take my slot now to prevent us having to reschedule the speakers list. Ms Fitzgerald stated there is a dent in the armour. The stronger phrase is that the trust in HIQA and the regulatory regime has been damaged. I have seen a particular impact because Beneavin nursing home is in my own constituency. I wish to acknowledge the immediate briefing...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: All three nursing homes were inspected on one day.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: How many times has HIQA attended the three nursing homes?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: People will be somewhat reassured by the frequency of inspections since then. In those subsequent inspections, has anything been discovered that posed an immediate threat to the health, safety or welfare of the people within the nursing home that would warrant its closure?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: Many people will have made the decision to place a relative there on the basis of the previous HIQA reports, which effectively gave the centres a clean bill of health. The question arises, how can a clean bill of health be issued for a nursing home in which an undercover investigation - "undercover" might be the operative word - discovered a very different reality? What can Ms Cliffe say to...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: When Ms Cliffe mentions the resident profile, she means there was a higher level of dependency.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: I am glad Ms Cliffe mentioned both management and ratios because the issue of ratios arose frequently in the programme. I believe HIQA does not have a required ratio like the ratios in childcare. Is that the case?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: Does the Department have any comment on that?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: It is accepted that standard ratios are an important factor and should be in place.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: When did the Department come to that conclusion?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: I know the previous Minister of State with responsibility for older people provided additional funding and powers to HIQA, which is reflected to some degree, but the issue of the ratios is key.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: On the issue of ratios, people often say there are too many managers and not enough front-line staff. In my own private view, when looking at the programme, I saw issues of culture. They say culture is the easiest form of management. If people felt free to compile reports on actions that were not actually carried out or to depart from standard practice even where they know it was wrong to...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: I have said on the record of the Dáil that you can have all the regulations in the world but if people are willing to fill out forms saying actions have been completed when they know that is not the case or to do things that any decent human would know do not constitute good care, that poses a regulatory challenge. RTÉ was able to discover these things because of the undercover...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: What is preventing HIQA for using undercover techniques?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: That is useful. I am very anxious to ask about company structures. Ms Cliffe mentioned separate entities. Are there directors in common across all of the Emeis entities?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: The corporate governance element as regards common directorships, term limits for directors and so on is not a matter for HIQA but has it examined that area with respect to these groups of nursing homes? Many people are very uncomfortable with the idea that a corporate entity is not accountable to HIQA while individually-created corporate entities are. It seems like a big gap in the...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: I do not want to abuse my position as Chair so I have to limit myself. We will now take a very short break. We will resume in ten minutes with Deputy Séamus McGrath.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: We will start with Deputy Séamus McGrath.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Paul McAuliffe: I thank Deputy Boland and call Deputy Connolly.