Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and I agree with what she has just said. However, instead of having officials in the Department reading the reports and determining whether all of the reports from the various nursing homes were received, we should be deploying more inspectors for surprise visits. We need boots on the ground. As the Minister of State knows, one can read a paper report on a nursing home that does not reflect the reality. When one sees the home in reality, one can understand the situation better. Surprise visits are very effective, especially if those running the homes know they will be inspected once or twice a year. That is a better approach than simply reading reports. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and for her efforts in this area.