Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 95: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the measures being put in place to make inspections of nursing homes more frequent and random. [22970/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE has initiated a review of the current approach to nursing home inspections which will examine issues such as preparation work undertaken, assessment tools used, methodologies employed during inspections, guidelines dealing with announced and unannounced visits and procedures to assess the quality of care. The reviewer has been asked to provide a report to the HSE outlining his findings, including any actions which should be taken to improve the quality of the inspection process and to identify any other issues that need to be addressed for the future.

As already announced, the social services inspectorate is to be established on a statutory basis. The legislation will be published later this year. The inspectorate will be charged with the inspection of both public and private nursing homes and will be responsible for reporting on standards of care in such homes. In addition, the Department of Health and Children is urgently reviewing the operation of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 and regulations made under the Act to see which powers available to the Health Service Executive need to be strengthened. This wide ranging review will have the rights of patients at its centre. It is intended to have this Bill published later this year.

The Tánaiste wrote to the HSE on 14 June 2005 to ensure that the target of two inspections per year under Article 24 of the Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations 1993 be achieved countrywide as a matter of urgency. The Tánaiste also requested that the inspection process be prioritised within the HSE to achieve compliance with Article 24 of the regulations.