Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have an interest in speaking in this debate because of my document on a new approach to ageing and ageism.

The establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority comes not before its time. I am in favour of its powers to establish, monitor and investigate standards of service provided by the HSE or on behalf of the HSE. I can only hope the authority will be rigorous in both the setting of standards of service to be provided and in its monitoring of these in practice. These standards are in place to help protect the most vulnerable in society.

The Seanad has debated on many occasions the standards of care afforded to nursing home residents since the Leas Cross scandal broke in 2005. In February 2007, Professor Des O'Neill, the author of the Leas Cross report, spoke about a new study which revealed that almost 90% of residents in nursing homes have a disability. He declared that our nursing homes are populated by the most frail group of older people.

This Bill provides a framework for serious action to be taken and I sincerely hope that real action and improvements take place. The Office of the Chief Inspector of Social Services, which is also established in this Bill, will ensure a fully independent inspectorate for all nursing homes, both public and private, as well as for centres for children and those people with disabilities.

We have a special obligation to all those in care such as young people, children, older people and those with disabilities. On too many occasions we have witnessed an abominable neglect of the duty of care. Let future generations not speak of our treatment of those in residential care in the same tones we have used to speak of those in positions of authority in years gone by.

We must ensure they do not ask, as we have done, "How could they have let that happen? Why did no one stand up and shout stop?". We are now learning about the mistakes of the past but it is truly lamentable that we had to be shamed into action by a television programme. It is my hope that investigations into safety, quality and standard of service carried out under the auspices of the Health Information and Quality Authority will be initiated promptly and conducted thoroughly.

We in Ireland are fantastic at introducing regulations and in drawing up reports but, for God's sake, I ask that these regulations dealing with nursing homes be implemented and enforced. It is not enough to pass this Bill; we want to see enforcement. I cite the examples of countries like Germany or Switzerland where laws are introduced, implemented and enforced.

We all know that talk is cheap and that actions speak louder than words. Regulations which are not enforced are not worth the paper they are written on. What good is a system of two inspections a year, either announced or unannounced, when the findings are obscured by bureaucracy or a lack of resources or will and a fear of implementing them?

The northern area health board received numerous reports of the deficiencies in Leas Cross but nothing substantive was done until outrage at the "Prime Time" television programme brought it onto the public radar. That must never happen again.

It is vital the response to suspicions of ill-treatment of those in residential care takes place with the least possible delay. If residents of designated centres find themselves poorly treated they may often have nowhere else to go or nowhere that is capable of meeting their needs. We cannot allow them to languish in suffering.

I am pleased the chief inspector will have the power to act quickly in urgent situations. Leas Cross was a wake-up call to those responsible for these matters. We must ensure they stay awake, alert and on the job. I run a food production company and I know the implementation of standards by the multiples is impeccable. Visitations by the retailers to the food production companies are both announced and unannounced. There is no excuse. People will be required to deliver and to have the highest possible standards. We need the HSE and the bureaucracy to implement and enforce these decisions.