Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power. We must acknowledge the work carried out in the report on the Leas Cross nursing home by Professor Des O'Neill. I am pleased to hear the Department of Health and Children and the HSE will work to implement his recommendations. The failings in care for older people described in the report are deeply distressing. They show a complete lack of respect for older people and their dignity. These people were the founders of the State and the ones who worked in adverse circumstances to make the country what it is today.

In this instance and in others, older people in care and their families were badly let down; in fact, they were betrayed. I deeply regret the distress it has caused them. The fact that the nursing home in question is now closed in respect of the previous management is some small measure, but it is of little comfort to the relatives of those whose loved ones were failed so badly. It is clear that warning signs and complaints were not given the attention they were due. It is vital that the Government leads the legislative actions and funding decisions to ensure that high standards of care are upheld in all nursing homes, both public and private. It is clear from Professor O'Neill's report and from previous reports that complaints and warnings were not given the attention they warranted. This is a matter of deep regret. This is another example of a problem that dates from the mid-1970s that was not dealt with and eventually became impossible to ignore.