Paraic Brady (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise an issue that is very local and very personal not only to myself but to the people of Longford. St. Joseph’s Daycare Centre has just received its HIQA report. It is a damning report of how the service has been run into the ground. Our local councillor Peggy Nolan and other councillors in the area have highlighted this matter at local level. We lost our cathedral some years ago when it burned to the ground. It was rebuilt from the ashes. People call it the phoenix. This is our daycare centre, where the most vulnerable people in society and our elderly have been looked after for some years. There is great pride in this service in Longford. It has a huge facility and has been wonderful for people down through the years. The report was compiled. It was an anonymous call-in by HIQA to see how the service was being run. There were eight areas of non-compliance. This is very damning and it is hurtful to see patients are not receiving the same care and attention that was there previously. I am asking for a root-and-branch investigation into the full report. I also ask that the service be returned to the standard it was at a number of years ago. It is going to take a little investment and a lot of pain to the people who are there and the families and staff in order to get it back to the previous standard.

The report is damning, probably one of the worst that has ever been compiled. I hope this matter will be resolved sooner rather than later.