Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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629. To ask the Minister for Health his views on a matter regarding correspondence issued to private nursing homes by the Health Information and Quality Authority (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28850/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Health Information and Quality Authority is the independent authority established under the Health Act 2007 to drive continuous improvement and to monitor safety and quality in Ireland’s health and personal social care services. Since 2009 all nursing homes - public, voluntary and private have been registered and inspected by HIQA. Under Section 8 of the Act HIQA has statutory responsibility for setting standards on safety and quality, which are subject to approval by the Minister for Health under Section 10(2) of the Act.

All nursing homes are registered with HIQA for a period of three years, and for many, re-registration for the next three-year cycle is due in 2015.

The Department of Health is not and cannot be involved in the dialogue between HIQA and individual private nursing homes with regard to conditions of re-registration.