Seanad debates

Thursday, 19 October 2006

10:30 am

Photo of Joe O'TooleJoe O'Toole (Independent)

The supposed level of inspection of nursing homes has been raised on a number of occasions in the past two weeks. The Department or the Health Service Executive, HSE, has appointed people to do a check but they are the wrong people. In many cases, a check might be carried out by an environmental safety officer when someone with more professional qualifications would be required. We must hear more about this.

Not only are the wrong people doing it, a mixture of people should be inspecting, and there does not seem to be any follow-up. When issues are raised after an inspection, there is no short-term follow-up to see if they have been corrected. In recent times, however, I have visited some nursing homes and have been impressed by the quality and standards of care in them.

The Standards in Public Office Commission has been seeking more power recently to deal with those in public office. It claims it does not get complaints and, if it does, it does not have the power to do anything about them. I have been a Member of this House as ethics legislation has been passed over the past ten years and for anyone to question it has been to oppose virtue. We need to get this right now. If the commission needs more authority, we should grant it. I am unhappy the commission would simply speak to the Government to explain its viewpoint. It is a much wider issue.

If I made this speech in the last week of January, people would say I was talking sense. When we fill in all these forms every year, we should ensure they fit into a plan we understand and that meets our purpose. If the Standards in Public Office Commission requires more power, we should give it to it but we should know why it is happening and be clear where it is.

Recently two Ministers of the Swedish Government resigned for paying a nanny in cash and for not having a television licence. I am not making a value judgment on that but the question arises whether the punishment fits the crime. People are looking askance but that is the issue. Until we know when to say something is unacceptable and people must resign, or the opposite, so there is no row, we must debate this, get a consultant's view and take it from there.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.