Written answers

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Department of Health

Nursing Home Inspections

Photo of Billy KelleherBilly Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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181. To ask the Minister for Health his views on recent comments (details supplied) by the Minister of State with responsibility for older persons regarding the severe financial pressures upon public nursing homes to meet Health Information and Quality Authority physical environment standards, and the July 2015 deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6375/15]

Photo of Billy KelleherBilly Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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182. To ask the Minister for Health his views on recent comments by the Minister of State with responsibility for older persons and the director general of the Health Service Executive regarding major works required to bring the executive's long-stay residential care facilities into compliance with the physical environment standards set by the Health Information and Quality Authority, and the July 2015 deadline; and if he will provide reassurance that units of the executive requiring major works are fit for purpose, and his Department has not sought to influence the authority, due to pressures for required residential care beds. [6376/15]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 182 together.

There are currently 119 public residential units providing a mixture of long-stay and short-stay residential care.

HIQA has indicated that a number of units do not fully meet the standards one would expect to find in a modern nursing home. This is not surprising given the age and structure of many of our public nursing homes. However, there is adequate flexibility available within the terms of existing legislative provisions, and through ongoing discussions between the HSE and HIQA, for solutions to be found.

Notwithstanding the problems that some facilities face with structures and facilities, the vast majority of their residents receive excellent levels of care. Without these public facilities many older people would simply have nowhere to go, other than our acute hospitals which are already under pressure. It is therefore very important that the services provided by public facilities be maintained. In this context the HSE has been working with HIQA over the past number of months to meet the re-registration requirements of these units, and my Department is closely monitoring the situation.

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