George Lawlor calls to nationalise nursing homes amid abuse scandal
George Lawlor addressed televised footage of abuse in nursing homes, condemning private-sector failures and urging the nationalisation of 27 homes controlled by Amis Ireland. He argued profit motives have commodified and "warehoused" older people and pushed for urgent reform of HICWA and accountability after reports from Benavon Manor and Portlaoise.
Lawlor told of families watching in horror as appalling footage showed a chilling catalogue of problems linked to the private-sector takeover of elderly care. He said some units are "far from being either caring or considerate" and criticised the delay in political attention until an RTE investigative team exposed the issues.
He quoted Dr Margaret Kennedy of Equality Not Cruelty, a campaign representing disabled and older people, who described older people as being commodified and warehoused in nursing homes. Lawlor highlighted her view that money is at the root of many difficulties and that such places are not homes in any meaningful sense.
Lawlor cited specific abuse reports, including 198 reports at Benavon Manor in Dublin and 40 reports at residents of Portlaoise, and criticised official language used to describe the incidents. He rejected the term "care deficit" for situations involving assault and physical abuse, saying "That's not care deficit. That's criminal activity."
The motion discussed in the speech calls for the nationalisation of 27 nursing homes controlled by Amis Ireland as a minimum step to respond to the abuses. Lawlor argued this would send a signal against profit-driven motives in elder care and called for urgent reforms to HICWA and stronger protections for vulnerable residents.
TV footage sparks condemnation
Lawlor told of families watching in horror as appalling footage showed a chilling catalogue of problems linked to the private-sector takeover of elderly care. He said some units are "far from being either caring or considerate" and criticised the delay in political attention until an RTE investigative team exposed the issues.
Campaigners' testimony cited
He quoted Dr Margaret Kennedy of Equality Not Cruelty, a campaign representing disabled and older people, who described older people as being commodified and warehoused in nursing homes. Lawlor highlighted her view that money is at the root of many difficulties and that such places are not homes in any meaningful sense.
Reports and terminology challenged
Lawlor cited specific abuse reports, including 198 reports at Benavon Manor in Dublin and 40 reports at residents of Portlaoise, and criticised official language used to describe the incidents. He rejected the term "care deficit" for situations involving assault and physical abuse, saying "That's not care deficit. That's criminal activity."
Call for nationalisation and accountability
The motion discussed in the speech calls for the nationalisation of 27 nursing homes controlled by Amis Ireland as a minimum step to respond to the abuses. Lawlor argued this would send a signal against profit-driven motives in elder care and called for urgent reforms to HICWA and stronger protections for vulnerable residents.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy on Gaza: condemns Western complicity and protest crackdown
Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath Urges Secure Dual Funding for Clown Training Centre
Shay Brennan
Shay Brennan probes Vote 13 figures on floods, IT and access
Brian Stanley
Brian Stanley Blasts Israel's Actions as 'Genocide' and Calls for Ceasefire
Shay Brennan
Shay Brennan Challenges €70–100m Children's Science Centre Plan
Joe O'Reilly
Joe O'Reilly criticises centralisation of speech therapy services
Transcript
Minister, as someone whose family is looking enough to be in a position to keep their mother in her home while she requires care, with the help of some wonderful carers and my sister living with her, the spectre of what we saw on our TV screens a number of weeks ago was truly appalling. Families across the country looked on in horror as evil appeared on our screens. I don't need to rehearse all the condemnations that have been rightly chorused, but seeing the footage with a chilling catalogue of all that is bad about the private sector takeover of the care of the elderly in this country. We have a situation here where the care of the elderly in some, not all, but a considerable number of units is far from being either caring or considerate. Yesterday I listened to an amazing articulate and well-informed woman on my local South East radio, Dr Margaret Kennedy, and she is part of a campaign called Equality Not Cruelty. Their campaign is focused on the urgent reform of HICWA and ensuring that ill treatment and violations of dignity, respect and care in residential nursing homes never happens again. This amazing 72-year-old woman who lives with a neuromuscular disease succinctly and articulately summed it up for so many in her situation. She said her group spoke for disabled people and older people in their campaign. She said when she saw the images coming from her television screen, it was clear that older people are now being commodified. She said older people were being what she described as warehoused in these places and that basically money was the root of all the difficulties. And who could disagree? She went on to say that these places are called nursing homes, but nobody should call them homes of any kind because that is certainly not what they are. She had listened with interest recently to a discussion at an Oireachtas committee where someone from HICWA spoke about a care deficit. And I'd have to agree with her that this is an extraordinary phrase to use when describing criminal offences. To use care deficit as a term when someone has been assaulted or physically abused. That's not care deficit. That's criminal activity. How is it that we can have 198 abuse reports at Benavon Manor in Dublin and 40 reports at the residents of Portlaoise. And it takes the work of an RTE investigative team before we are talking about it here in the Oireachtas. This motion calls for the nationalisation of 27 nursing homes controlled by Amis Ireland. I think that is the least we can do to both send the signal to those sailing close to the wind in the care of the elderly in this country that we are sick to the teeth of profit driving their motives when it comes to looking after some of the the most vulnerable in our society. Like every public service that is overrun by the greed of boardrooms this sector has once again shown that when it comes to the provision of essential services in this country greed always trumps the good and the ideology that we've seen over the years absolutely fosters this. Brahmach agat.