Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important that the facts of the report last night are fully investigated. One of the things the report highlights is the lack of checks and balances. That is what we need in every system. It appears not only that the facility is falling down in the provision of services and how it treats the people it is appointed to care for, but also that the checks and balances are not working. That is a very serious issue. Why was this not flagged from a medical point of view? How come it did not show up in the HIQA inspection? Why are the checks and balances not working? That is one of the things that a report or an investigation into this matter must identify. What checks and balances need to be put in place? I agree with Senator O'Donovan when he speaks about acting as a solicitor. I have come across some very similar cases. It is a huge concern. I came across people who would have looked after their own child for 50 or 60 years and can no longer deal with it. Their big worry is who will look after that child with a disability once they are gone. It is a huge concern for parents and it is important that we can give reassurance that there are proper facilities, that all the care they require is there, but also that the checks and balances are there.

I also support Senator O'Donovan's point about the NCT test and the delays. I too received texts yesterday from Cork, where there is a huge delay in providing inspections and reports. It is something that must be dealt with. There is no point in implementing legislation and then finding that people cannot comply with it because the people offering the service to carry out these tests are not able to give that service within a reasonable period.

I agree with him that this problem needs to be resolved before the legislation is put in place. Otherwise, it will impose penalties on people who have no control over it which is wrong. This is something we need to look at.