Brian Stanley warns over rise in private nursing homes
Brian Stanley criticised the growing reliance on private nursing homes and called for urgent change, arguing that dependence on the private sector has left residents vulnerable. He highlighted alleged neglect, breached improvement plans and a failure to act on whistleblower complaints at specific facilities.
Brian Stanley raised concern about the over-reliance on private nursing homes, noting that around 80 per cent are now private and that this has "skewed things" and left the system at the mercy of the private sector. He said some operators have abused that position and pointed to recent examples of neglect and abuse revealed in public reporting.
He outlined specific failures in oversight, including 40 notifications of alleged abuse in 18 months submitted to Hikwa and gaps in inspection activity, with a five-month interval between some inspections. Stanley said improvement plans agreed with Hikwa and the HSE — including an admissions ban at one provider — were not followed through and that whistleblower complaints were not acted on for two years until an RTE expose.
The speaker reviewed enforcement options available to Hikwa — halting admissions, prosecutions, deregistration and complaint processes — and said he had met Hikwa about the issues. He welcomed referrals to Gardaí Chicana in this case. He contrasted failings at some private homes with a public nursing home, Mount Melich, which he said received a "glowing" inspection report and where a new extension must be opened more quickly.
Stanley argued for reducing dependency on nursing homes where possible, urging more home-based supports: Meals and Wheels services, more home helps with greater flexibility, and more public health nurses. He noted Portleish Meals and Wheels is starting up again after four years but needs funding, and warned that loneliness is damaging for older people, urging greater community and voluntary support.
Main concerns
Brian Stanley raised concern about the over-reliance on private nursing homes, noting that around 80 per cent are now private and that this has "skewed things" and left the system at the mercy of the private sector. He said some operators have abused that position and pointed to recent examples of neglect and abuse revealed in public reporting.
Allegations and inspections
He outlined specific failures in oversight, including 40 notifications of alleged abuse in 18 months submitted to Hikwa and gaps in inspection activity, with a five-month interval between some inspections. Stanley said improvement plans agreed with Hikwa and the HSE — including an admissions ban at one provider — were not followed through and that whistleblower complaints were not acted on for two years until an RTE expose.
Enforcement and facility performance
The speaker reviewed enforcement options available to Hikwa — halting admissions, prosecutions, deregistration and complaint processes — and said he had met Hikwa about the issues. He welcomed referrals to Gardaí Chicana in this case. He contrasted failings at some private homes with a public nursing home, Mount Melich, which he said received a "glowing" inspection report and where a new extension must be opened more quickly.
Alternatives and community support
Stanley argued for reducing dependency on nursing homes where possible, urging more home-based supports: Meals and Wheels services, more home helps with greater flexibility, and more public health nurses. He noted Portleish Meals and Wheels is starting up again after four years but needs funding, and warned that loneliness is damaging for older people, urging greater community and voluntary support.
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 →
Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh confronts nursing home neglect and care commodification
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy Demands Taoiseach Condemn US Air Assault on Iran
Danny Healy-Rae
Danny Healy-Rae urges homecare focus, questions nursing home pay
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy calls for national allergy strategy and access to OIT
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy on AI, Data Centres and Climate Risk
Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath: Urges Electoral Reform and Tightened Immigration
Transcript
Thanks. Thanks. I welcome this opportunity, Minister, to address the issue of nursing homes. I know you have taken an interest in it, but there are huge issues here to be addressed. The over-reliance on private nursing homes, I have to address that. That has increased, and I think that the fact that there is an 80 per cent now, we are now private, has skewed things and left us at the mercy of the private sector. Unfortunately, some in that sector will abuse it, and we have seen terrible examples of that in recent weeks. The neglect and abuse is well-eared. I am not going to go over it again. I went over it before which you are here in the Chamber. But what I have to say to the Minister is that, despite the improvement plans and commitments that were given to both Hikwa and the families, and particularly in relation to the residents in Portlaoise, they were not followed through on. The breach, the admission ban, the company breached that to continue with admitting people after February, even though they were told by Hikwa not to. And the time for change is long, long overdue here. I welcome the fact that it has been referred to, the issues that the residents have been referred to in Gardaí Chicana. I think in relation to residents that Hikwa has questions to answer. Whistleblowers complaints have not been acted on for two years, and not until we saw the RTE expose did we start to become acquainted with these issues. 40 notifications of alleged abuse in 18 months to Hikwa. What happened with those 40 notifications? What action was taken after them? There seems to have been very little. And a five-month gap between some of the inspections in the residents, despite loads of problems piling up there. You know, no action taken on that. Improvement plans agreed with Hikwa and the HSE, clearly not acted on. That is simply not good enough. While we are dependent on these nursing homes. And on the issue of possible penalties, and I met Hikwa in relation to this. You know, they can halt admissions, they can impose, they can be prosecuted, they can deregister, they have a complaint system, and ultimately they can be filed to in Gardaí Chicana, which has happened in this case. And I want to point out to you, there is a report today in relation to public nursing homes, and one in the county, Mount Melich, and it is an old nursing home, there is a new piece being built onto it, and if you have any influence, push it on quicker, we need to get that opened. That nursing home came out with a glowing report. A few minor things here and there, you know, nowhere will ever be perfect. But overall, it was hugely, you know, glowing report is the only way I could describe it. One resident told Hikwa that they had the time to get bored, there was that many activities. You know, people were very happy and content. I want to say to you, though, in relation to, and I am saying this to you sincerely, we have to try and reduce the dependency on nursing homes. Some people will have to go to nursing homes, and it will come at time, and I think most of us accept that. We hope it never comes for us, but where we can at all support people at home, we can do it. Portleish Meals and Wheels, which is starting up again, we have had no Meals and Wheels in Portleish for four years. Again, if you have any influence, it will need funding. We have secured a kitchen for it. I have some involvement with it. But we need that Meals and Wheels service up and running, and we need more support for Meals and Wheels. The importance of one, yeah, the importance of one proper meal a day can make an awful difference. More home helps, more home helps, and more flexibility, Minister, more flexibility in what they can do, and more public health nurses. They're the basics of trying to keep people in their home. And also, look, this is not something government can sort on their own. Loneliness is killing people. I think you'll agree with that as Minister for older people. Loneliness is killing people. And whatever we can do through voluntary organisations and through society as a whole, if we can just get out that message, we need to get people to visit our neighbours or relatively. I used to do it as a young person going to school. My mother used to send me in to visit all people on my way home from school. And if they needed a Kindle and Brian for the fire, I'd do it and things like that. And just chat to him for a few minutes. Thank you, Deputy. Thank you very much.