Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 11: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she expects to publish the report by a person (details supplied); if she will act on their recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21298/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised that the report referred to by the Deputy is currently being considered by the Health Service Executive. It has not yet been submitted to the Tánaiste or myself. I am not therefore, in a position to say when it will be published or to offer any comments on its recommendations.

The Department of Health and Children has been working on two important areas which will have a significant impact on the inspection of Nursing Homes. The first is a Working Group which has been established by the Department to develop the standards for residential care settings for older people. Membership of the Group comprises officials from the Department, the Health Service Executive, the Social Services Inspectorate and the Irish Health Service Accreditation Board.

The Group is developing standards for the inspection of both public and private residential care for older people. A draft document is nearing completion and will be circulated to interested and relevant parties in the summer. In addition, the Irish Health Services Accreditation Board has examined the development of accreditation standards for both public and private residential care for older people. These will be introduced once national standards are established. The IHSAB and the DoHC are in ongoing consultation in relation to national and accreditation standards.

Secondly, the Department is in the process of drafting the Health Bill 2006 which provides for the establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Office of the Chief Inspector of Social Services, as an office within HIQA, on a statutory basis.

In addition, the HSE established a Working Group on Nursing Home Inspections in July 2005. It has now reported. The report makes a number of initial recommendations in specific areas in relation to nursing homes inspections which it regards as priority issues. The Group is addressing standards in respect of the inspection process. The HSE is committed to publishing inspection reports on nursing homes and these are expected to be published from mid-July onwards.

Priority is being given to the appointment of dedicated multi-disciplinary inspection teams whose remit solely covers all aspects of nursing home inspections, registrations, investigations and dealing with FOI requests. Standardised documentation will be used by all inspection teams throughout the HSE. An Integrated Checklist will be adopted by all Inspection Teams and completed at each inspection by team members.