Martin Daly presses for inspections, fines and public beds in nursing homes
Martin Daly urged stronger oversight of nursing homes, calling for unannounced inspections, clearer staffing standards, and the power for HICWA to directly fine corporate operators. He also backed an increase in public nursing home capacity and noted 615 public beds being reformed or added this year.
Martin Daly described the situation as "extremely serious," saying the public expects answers and accountability. He highlighted basic supply shortages—gloves, continence wear sheets and towels—as countable, inspectable failures under the existing framework rather than issues of culture.
Daly noted that HICWA carried out 85% of inspections unannounced and said inspectors should have a right of entry. He supported expedited measures to allow HICWA to investigate individual complaints where there is at least a death or serious injury.
He emphasised the importance of staffing levels and ongoing discussions between the Department of Health and HICWA. Daly referred to a capacity review under way in the Department of Health and said he intended to bring forward a proposal to expedite public nursing home beds.
Daly argued there should be the ability for HICWA to directly fine corporate operators rather than forcing matters through the courts. He said this was not a formal recommendation in the report he referenced but expressed openness to pursue the fines issue directly.
Officials had brought two nursing homes with notifiable incidents to his attention, one involving Garda Sheikana. He said the HSE safeguarding team has been engaged and officials continue to work with HICWA on the matters.
Main concerns
Martin Daly described the situation as "extremely serious," saying the public expects answers and accountability. He highlighted basic supply shortages—gloves, continence wear sheets and towels—as countable, inspectable failures under the existing framework rather than issues of culture.
Inspections and HICWA access
Daly noted that HICWA carried out 85% of inspections unannounced and said inspectors should have a right of entry. He supported expedited measures to allow HICWA to investigate individual complaints where there is at least a death or serious injury.
Staffing and capacity
He emphasised the importance of staffing levels and ongoing discussions between the Department of Health and HICWA. Daly referred to a capacity review under way in the Department of Health and said he intended to bring forward a proposal to expedite public nursing home beds.
Fines and enforcement
Daly argued there should be the ability for HICWA to directly fine corporate operators rather than forcing matters through the courts. He said this was not a formal recommendation in the report he referenced but expressed openness to pursue the fines issue directly.
Notifiable incidents and follow-up
Officials had brought two nursing homes with notifiable incidents to his attention, one involving Garda Sheikana. He said the HSE safeguarding team has been engaged and officials continue to work with HICWA on the matters.
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Transcript
Minister, thank you for coming in here today. This is extremely serious. The public do expect answers and accountability. HICWA were here this morning. We were delighted to meet them. But, you know, there were certain things. Under the existing framework, the idea that there were not enough gloves and continence wear sheets and towels in a nursing home, I mean, these are countable items. That's not a relation to culture. That is something that should be, under the current regime, inspecable. The staffing levels are really important. That conversation that's going on with the Department of Health and HICWA about staffing levels, that's going to be extremely important. Individual complaints, we need to be able to facilitate that. And I have to say, I must reiterate too, that there should be the ability for HICWA to directly fine corporates that should not have to go into the courts. There should be a financial penalty. And finally, because I don't want to hog the time here, there are other people who need to talk. On the private versus public, I did come in here with the preconceived idea that this was only corporate. I have my own concerns about the increasing congregation of people in nursing homes run by corporates. But HICWA did reflect today that there was a considerable number of public nursing homes that were under restriction also. So I'll leave it at that. You might reflect on that. Sorry. So, if I might do it in reverse order, is that okay, Senator Costello? So, the staffing levels I've covered and there's a task force support too to come to a straight way. In terms of individual complaints, there's measures to be brought in whereby for, with at least a debt or a serious injury, that HICWA will be able to do investigations. That's something we very much want to expedite. In terms of the fines, it wasn't a recommendation that HICWA may have ever made to the Department of Health or in the report. However, I'm very open to, I'm very open to looking at that fines issue directly for HICWA. It's something very, very... On the nursing homes, the Program for Government commits to increase the number of public nursing home beds. And that's something I feel very strongly about. There's 615 beds, public nursing home beds, being reformed or new this year. We've capacity review currently underway in the Department of Health and the whole area of public nursing homes. I want to really, to bring forward a proposal which very much expedites the role of the public nursing home beds. Regulation is across the board, whereas private, public or voluntary, the regulation should apply in the exact same way. In terms of, going back to Senator Costello, HICWA, 85% of their inspections are unannounced, right? I wasn't aware that they had to in any way make the nursing homes aware they were arriving. They should have right of entry. The rest are announced, right? You asked me about, am I aware of any issues with other nursing homes? It was brought to my attention by the officials on Monday. There was two nursing homes where there was notifiable incidents. One of them involves on Garda Sheikana. The other is, there are two very serious issues. We have followed up with the HSE safeguarding team to be involved. And furthermore, my officials continue to engage with HICWA on the particular matter. Just in relation to HICWA