Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 138: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to set out in legislation or otherwise, minimum standards of care for the elderly in the State, towards a single common standard for private nursing homes, Government-run nursing homes and for those cared for in their own home that will prevent abuse or neglect of older persons; if she plans to establish an ombudsman for older persons; if she will develop an action plan on elder abuse; and if there will be a full investigation into the extent of elder abuse in the State. [2846/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Nursing Home (Care and Welfare) Regulations 1993 set out the standards to which the private nursing home sector must adhere for the purpose of registration under the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990. The regulations apply only to the private nursing home sector and do not cover public long-stay facilities for older people. However, there is a commitment in the health strategy to extend the remit of the social services inspectorate to long-stay facilities for older people, both public and private. In addition, my Department is carrying out a review of the nursing home subvention scheme and one of the common themes emerging from this process is the need for common standards between the public and private sectors.

The report of the working group on elder abuse, Protecting Our Future, was launched on 11 November 2002. This report, in starting with a definition of elder abuse and recommending the establishment of structures to deal with suspected cases will, I hope, give older people who feel they are the subject of abuse in any shape or form, the confidence to report their anxieties, as appropriate, to a social worker, a public health nurse, a member of the Garda Síochana or any professional or care worker.

The report recommended the establishment of a national implementation group which was set up in December 2003 and has commenced work. Furthermore, funding of €2.45 million has been provided to the former health boards to commence the elder abuse programme since the publication of the report. In the circumstances I do not consider it appropriate to establish an office of ombudsman for older people.