Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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554. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the working group set up in 2005 with the aim of developing standards in all residential care settings and if this does not mean all homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19533/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Health Service Executive was responsible for inspecting private nursing homes up to 2009 when statutory responsibility was given to the Health Information and Quality Authority for the registration and inspection of certain categories of designated centres, including nursing homes for older people. The definition of a designated centre is set out in the Health Act 2007 and there are a number of exceptions included in that definition.

Prior to the introduction of statutory regulation, in 2007 the Minister for Health and Children published a set of draft national standards for residential care. As the inspection function was be taken over by HIQA, the draft standards were formally referred to the Authority for consultation and finalisation. HIQA established a Working Group to finalise the draft standards which included a public consultation process.

The National Standards were approved by the Minister in 2009. They have since been reviewed and revised National Standards came into effect in 2016.