Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We must also speak about the protection and empowerment of older people living in nursing homes. People living in residential care communities often need support in asserting their autonomy and expressing their desires and concerns. This requires robust regulatory, advocacy and decision support frameworks to operate in tandem with one another. It is vital that the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill be enacted as soon as possible to facilitate the long-awaited operation of the decision support service and the abolition of wardship. This must go hand-in-hand with increased supports for the provision of advocacy services for older people, particularly those in residential care settings. I know the Minister of State knows about the recently published annual report of Sage Advocacy, which noted that it is receiving an increasing number of referrals. Those people are coming to Sage Advocacy with cases of increasing complexity. It is vital that advocacy services for people in residential care facilities receive adequate support. We must ensure that the voices of residents are heard in the running of these institutions and in the political decisions that are made about them.

I also want to use this time to highlight the calls from the Irish Association of Social Workers and others for adult safeguarding legislation. I recently attended the virtual launch of the association's position paper on safeguarding legislation. It has done vital work sketching out what adult safeguarding legislation should look like. It must be human rights-based, include mandatory reporting for certain circumstances, facilitate inter-agency data sharing and co-operation, and provide for real sanctions for care providers which neglect their duty of care to residents. This legislation is long overdue. My Civil Engagement Group colleague, former Senator Colette Kelleher, introduced such a Bill in 2017. It was mired on Committee Stage when the Government insisted that research from the Law Reform Commission was needed for the Bill to advance. The commission has not been able to deliver the report so far and I am dismayed at the lack of legislative progress in this area. I was really heartened by the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte’s, comments at that event that she would see to the introduction of legislation if there are further delays.

The people living in Irish nursing homes are people who have provided this country with decades of work, both paid and unpaid. They played their part in building a modern, economically prosperous country and they deserve the highest standard of care. I believe that a national care service would be best placed to provide that care.I believe that a national care service would be best placed to provide that care. If we pay workers what they are worth, we get better results. In the meantime, we must make sure that nursing home staff are paid wages commensurate with the difficult and essential nature of their work, and that residents are protected and empowered by effective and complementary regulatory, decision support, advocacy and safeguarding systems. Protecting the comfort and dignity of nursing home residents needs to be a central priority.

I would like to echo what others have said around the Minister of State's work in this area. I know how hard she works in this area and I know it is something she is extremely passionate about. I would also like to see her retained in the role going forward, particularly around mental health. I hope the Government honours its commitments to introduce and enact long-overdue legislation in the area of adult safeguarding. I thank the Minister of State again for the work she is doing in this area.