Results 141-160 of 26,887 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: No, I am asking Ms Fitzgerald the questions. I am asking very direct questions because the matter is important. Did the two healthcare assistants who were part of the undercover programme speak to HIQA in advance of the programme being aired?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: They made HIQA aware of the issues, however. I wanted to set that out very clearly at the start because accountability is important and families feel very let down by HIQA, as a regulator, and the Government. I have spoken to many of them. I want to ask Ms Fitzgerald about the changing nature of nursing homes because we now have what I would consider to be a large number of multinational...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: Take the case of Dublin, Beneavin. According to HIQA’s interim report published yesterday, there were 198 allegations of suspected or confirmed abuse of a resident there. This is shocking. What financial penalties have been imposed on any of the individual homes or the corporate body, given all the issues that have been raised? It is a straight question and I want a straight answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: What financial penalties have been imposed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: So, none. With respect, what we saw in a programme was cost-cutting by a corporate body leading to a neglect of residents. Families feel very let down. The quality of care was substandard. It was clear to me that this was about a corporate body trying to save money and cutting costs. HIQA has no powers to impose any financial penalties whatsoever. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: The question can be answered quickly with “Yes” or “No”.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: Does Ms Fitzgerald think HIQA should have them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: What percentage of all nursing homes is private?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: Over the past ten years, on Fine Gael's watch, the percentage of private nursing homes has gone from 35% to nearly 80%. Of the ten prosecutions that HIQA sought last year in respect of nursing homes, how many were corporate or private nursing homes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: Why not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: The Minister of State has responsibility for this sector and there has been a scandal in a number of nursing homes. There is a big focus on the lack of regulation, which I will discuss in a moment. I will give the Minister of State the answer to save him sifting through the pages in front of him. Eight out of the ten prosecutions sought last year were related to these corporates.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: On the Government's watch, a lot of family-run nursing homes have been run out of the market and corporate companies have come in, in particular, the company that was the subject of an "RTÉ Investigates" programme. HIQA has said it needs new powers to deal with corporate entities. The Minister of State is on record as saying HIQA does not need any more powers. It does and this is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: Yes, but the Minister of State should know these figures. There were 198 allegations.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: How much in financial penalties was imposed on the nursing home or nursing home group?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: No, it is a matter for the Minister of State and the Government. I need to outline this from my perspective. The Government has allowed a situation to arise where we have drifted from a majority of nursing homes being publicly run to a majority of nursing homes being privately run. Even within that, what are called "mom and pop" nursing homes - the family-run nursing homes - have been run...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: No financial penalties were imposed because HIQA does not have the power to do so, as it told us earlier.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: I know that but zero fines have been imposed on this group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: With all of those allegations, zero fines have been imposed on this group because HIQA does not have the power to do it. HIQA told us that this is one of the areas it would like reviewed. Is the Minister of State aware of the Emily case?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: What home was involved? Was it a nursing home? Does he know in what year that occurred?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Standards of Care, Related Practices and Oversight in Nursing Homes: Discussion (18 Jun 2025)

David Cullinane: Is the Minister of State aware of the Leas Cross case? Does he know when it was?