‘Nuclear option' to close nursing homes must be used, says Taoiseach
The 'nuclear option' to close
nursing homes
for significant failings 'has to be on the table',
Taoiseach Micheál Martin
has said, describing it as a 'fundamental power' of the
Health Information and Quality Authority
(Hiqa), the monitoring body.
Mr Martin told the Dáil it was up to the
Health Service Executive
'to resolve the consequential crisis that occurs when a decision to close is made.
'But we shouldn't baulk from that decision because of that.'
He was responding to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who highlighted what they said was a lack of power at Hiqa.
READ MORE
Wednesday's debate followed the publication of Hiqa's interim report on the Emeis Ireland nursing homes – Beneavin Manor in Dublin and The Residence in Portlaoise on Tuesday night. Both featured in the recent RTÉ Investigates programme.
Mr Martin said there were some 'very disturbing clear facts' in the report, citing the non-adherence to fire regulations.
'Now, to me, that's a red alarm,' he said, adding that when fundamental issues like the health and safety of residents are at stake, then closure is an option.
[
Taoiseach Micheál Martin's Cork office vandalised amid 'personal threats'
Opens in new window
]
Ms McDonald said it was clear Emeis did not fear Hiqa.
'Quite frankly, they didn't give a toss about regulations or inspections,' she said.
'Little wonder, because Hiqa's hands are tied behind its back. They don't have the legal power to impose fines. The corporate entities that own these nursing homes are out of their reach. And Hiqa badly needs new powers'.
She asked how it took an RTÉ programme to expose a scandal when the report showed there were 198 allegations of abuse at a single nursing home.
Opposition smells blood in the water over RPZ changes
Listen |
35:51
The Dublin Central TD said 20 years ago, 30 per cent of nursing homes were in private hands but that had since risen to 80 per cent.
During testy exchanges, Mr Martin said Hiqa's powers had been broadened since 2017 and stressed that 'if there is a series of noncompliance as seems to be the case in respect of the interim report of Hiqa', the option of closure 'should be on the table'.
Ms McDonald said the culture of abuse 'was obviously endemic, hard-wired into the operation of the homes, and went on for a very long time'.
Ms Bacik said trust in the model of private and for-profit nursing home care 'has been shattered' since the RTÉ programme and that 'faith in the system of inspections has also been greatly damaged', requiring Government action.
[
Ireland's EuroMillions winner bought their €250 million winning ticket in Munster
Opens in new window
]
The presentations of Hiqa's chief executive and inspectors at Wednesday morning's Oireachtas health committee had raised more questions than answers, she argued, claiming the chief inspector had been 'frankly evasive' when asked about reports of abuse in a third nursing home.
Mr Martin said the power to cancel nursing home registrations existed and that it had been used in eight cases last year. 'It can and has happened,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, June 21st: On public service, the cost of living and sunscreen
Sir, – A stream of commentary in the columns of The Irish Times has crystalised a sobering truth, that ' Our administrative and legal procedures simply cannot unblock the logjam in time to prevent serious damage ', as Michael McDowell put it. ('There is a way to break the logjam in infrastructure', June 18th). Before last Christmas, Patrick Honohan, former governor of the Central Bank, wrote in an Irish Times article: 'The issue is not so much what the aims of public policy should be... the problem has been in delivery'; and recently an Irish Times editorial spoke of our 'sluggish' administrative processes. A simple example illustrates the depth of this dysfunction: a friend of mine, an experienced property expert who spent much of his career in the public sector, repeatedly attempted to draw attention to suboptimal performance in a prominent State body (mirroring wider poor performance manifest in the ballooning housing crisis) and to offer solutions. As a last resort, he wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin in January and, after several reminders in the meantime, he finally received a reply this week, six months on, saying that his letter had been forwarded to Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation. The Office of the Taoiseach publishes a national risk assessment annually which sets out the '24 strategic risks facing the country in the short, medium and long term'. READ MORE Pandemics, war, housing and social cohesion are mentioned, for example, but never mentioned in this annual assessment is the overarching risk, which if not addressed, compounds all other risks, namely, administrative incompetence and inertia. The Civil Service is not up to the job. Just for example, with 15 grades and associated sign-off authorities above the level of Executive Officer, and several more below EO, Civil Service structures are not fit for purpose in this day of digitisation and AI; reasonable public expectations of personal accountability, with consequences, are thwarted when things go wrong, be it in the national children's hospital, nursing homes, the Office of Public Works, policing or the degradation by nitrates of Our Lady's Island lagoon. To achieve progress on his extensive portfolio of responsibilities, radical public service reform has to be front and centre for Mr Chambers. – Yours, etc, EDDIE MOLLOY, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Rent pressure zones Sir, – While most attention has focused on the likely impact of changes to rent pressure zones (RPZs) on future rents, little consideration seems to have been given to their consequences for house prices. Firstly, housing and apartment development land prices will rise on the basis that building rental homes will be perceived as having become more profitable and this will lead to increased house prices, even if other building costs don't also increase. Secondly, as long-term rental yield expectations will have been increased, they will lift the capital value of underlying assets and progressively influence the market for not-for-rent new and second-hand homes. As always, it is not just rental income that's important in property investment but the 'total return' which includes capital appreciation determined by purchase-sale market conditions and timing. Thanks to the RPZ changes, these have suddenly become more favourable for landlords and builders and less so for buyers and renters. – Yours, etc, BRIAN FLANAGAN, Blackrock, Co Dublin. The high cost of living in Ireland Sir, – Your front page article ( 'Ireland second most expensive country in Europe ' June 20th), will come as no surprise to anyone holidaying or on business in mainland Europe this year. We have just returned from Cyprus where a bottle of decent supermarket wine was €5.50 (€10 here), 20 cigarettes were €4.30 (€14.50 here) and a litre of unleaded diesel was €1.32 (€1.74 here in rural Donegal). Against an average monthly rent of ¤2,000 in Ireland, €850 a month could get you a furnished two-bed apartment in Paphos with access to a pool and a five-minute drive from the beach and all shopping amenities. Of course, wages are lower (minimum wage of €6.60 an hour there, €13.50 here) but that's irrelevant if you are working from home for a multinational – your salary is the same wherever you are, or like us, you are on a fixed pension income. Around 76 per cent of Greek Cypriots speak English, all government documents are in both languages, they drive on the left and you can keep in touch with news in English from British Forces radio or the English edition of the Cyprus Mail. Annual sunshine hours are 3,000 against 1,500 in Dublin. After 11 years in Ireland we've had enough and are planning a move. If it wasn't for the cat, we'd be there now. – Yours, etc, KENNETH HARPER, Burtonport, Co Donegal. Sir, – Eurostat's finding that Ireland is the second most expensive country in Europe came as no surprise. Donegal friends of ours recently returned from Venice, and when I asked if it had been expensive, they replied: 'Not really – after living in Ireland, Venice seemed quite reasonable.' When Venice starts to feel like a bargain, something has gone badly wrong. – Yours, etc, ENDA CULLEN, Armagh. Sir, – Your recent reporting on Ireland being the second most expensive country in the EU is a timely reminder of the factors driving up costs for households and businesses. Among these, fuel stands out: not because of global market volatility, but because of Irish taxes. We believe Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe should establish an expert group to review how fuel for transport and home heating is taxed. Its remit should be clear: It should secure fair revenue for the State, support the shift to renewable energy and protect vulnerable consumers from punishing costs. Current policy hits hardest those with no alternative. That's not sustainable – environmentally, economically, or politically. – Yours, etc, KEVIN McPARTLAN, Chief executive, Fuels for Ireland, Dublin 1. Sir, – Your article (' Ireland's grocery prices are still soaring. How can that be? 'June 16th) cites many reasons for the huge grocery price hikes which we've all seen in the past year or so. Aside from geopolitical events, there is one development that I have noticed in all our local supermarkets over the past year: there has been a huge change in the way supermarket food in particular has been displayed. Now acres of plastic doors have been installed for refrigerated and frozen goods. Inside these cabinets every item of food is presented in plastic or aluminium containers and the food is then covered in literally kilometres of plastic wrap. Potatoes, carrots and even onions are in plastic bags, mushrooms, tomatoes and fruit are in plastic trays shrouded in film. Are we all paying for these plastic doors, the food containers, the cling film? I would like to know how much the packaging contributes to the increased costs. We are offered no choice on whether to accept it or not. I would also like to know whether there are any health risks to us from all the plastic. Are we going to be able to recycle all this packaging? I weighed two washed and emptied trays: one plastic (27 grammes), the other aluminium (23 grammes). Our waste company accepts no aluminium trays for recycling, which presents an additional problem, as one aluminium school lunch tray arrives into our house every weekday. I share the outrage of Pricewatch's readers, but it's not just each individual family budget that's being affected. The cost to our climate is going to be heavy: the CO2 generated by manufacture of aluminium and plastic is only one part of it. Washing the items to make them fit for recycling takes energy (which we pay for). More CO2 is then needed to cart the stuff to a central recycling facility, where even more fossil fuel is needed to recycle it. As for the plastic doors, I reckon their lifespan would be 25 years at most, which gets us to 2050. I wonder whether there is any plan to dispose of or repurpose them. It doesn't appear that the supermarkets are taking climate change seriously. – Yours, etc, MARY SIKORA, Rosscarbery, Co Cork. Child poverty is not inevitable Sir, – The latest child poverty monitor from the Children's Rights Alliance is not just a wake-up call, it's a national shame. In one year, more than 45,000 more children in Ireland have been pushed into consistent poverty, bringing the total to nearly 103,000. This is not a statistic. It is a searing indictment of political choices, public apathy, and a system that continues to fail our most vulnerable: our children. Poverty is not inevitable. It's the result of policy decisions that too often favour economic metrics over human dignity. Today, children account for nearly 40 per cent of those in consistent poverty. Thousands go to bed hungry, live in insecure housing, and miss out on the most basic joys of childhood. This, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The Government has made welcome commitments, free school books, hot meals, GP access, but these measures, while helpful, are broad strokes. They do not touch the core of the crisis. The housing emergency is pushing nearly 4,800 children into homelessness, and 230,000 more live in material deprivation, families forced to choose between food and heat, rent and clothing. This is not just a policy gap. It is a moral failure. After nearly four decades working in developing countries, I've seen poverty in its harshest forms, from the famine zones of Africa to the slums of Calcutta. I still remember a six-year-old boy abandoned to die in a sewer. He survived, but only just. His story lives with me because poverty robs children of their worth and their future. While the context is different, children in Ireland are being let down in ways that should horrify us. This isn't just about numbers, it's about values. Do we value children only in rhetoric? Or are we willing to invest in their futures? We know what works: targeted child benefit, early intervention, proper housing, and dignified social protection. And yet two years after the ESRI called for a second-tier child benefit, we still wait. Meanwhile, on the world stage, child suffering deepens. In 2024 the UN verified more than 41,000 grave violations against children in conflict zones. More than 4,500 children were killed, many in Gaza, Congo, Ukraine, Ethiopia and beyond. Some 22,495 children endured multiple atrocities, recruited, raped, bombed, starved. It should haunt us. We must stop looking away. Whether in Dublin or Gaza, Galway or Ethiopia, every child matters. Let us be the generation that found its conscience, raised its voice, and acted. – Yours, etc, RONAN SCULLY, Knocknacarra, Galway. Roaming dogs on the beach Sir. – Having visited Seapoint yesterday evening for a swim, I could not believe the number of dogs still roaming freely among swimmers' belongings and in the sea, in spite of signs everywhere saying ' No Dogs'. Also, where we were changing there was a large abandoned dog poo for unaware swimmers to walk into... disgusting. There were many children there yesterday who do not like dogs and I don't think it is fair for them to have to endure this. Where are the dog wardens patrolling this area? They should be there constantly in the summer months. – Yours, etc, EILEEN BANNAN, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. Always wear sunscreen Sir, – As an Australian, now happily resident in Ireland, your cover photo of sunbathers ('Hotting up', June 20th) prompts me to share the hard-earned wisdom of my people: slip, slop, slap. More specifically, slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. There are things to envy about the Australian way of life, skin cancer is not one of them. – Yours, etc, BEN AVELING, Ranelagh, Dublin. Nuclear weapons and disarmament Sir, – How can a country with nuclear weapons insist that another country should not have them? The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is signed up to by 191 countries, including five states that have nuclear arms. This treaty, as well as aiming to prevent the proliferation of nuclear arms, looks to the disarmament of those weapons already in existence. As far as I am aware no such disarmament has taken place since the putting in place of the treaty in the 1970s. Don't those with the power to disarm nuclear weapons not know of the utter devastation caused by the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or of the still evident effects of Chernobyl? No country should have nuclear weapons. The fact that some countries do have them causes others to develop these weapons. Can the double standard be stopped and a serious effort made to comply with the aims of the NPT to stop both proliferation and disarm already existing weapons? The consequences of not doing so are unthinkable. – Yours, etc, MARY FITZGERALD, Terenure, Dublin. EuroMillions dejection Sir, – Unlike Brian Cullen (Letters, June 20th) I had a longer period of excitement as I didn't check my tickets until I heard where the winning ticket was sold. My wish always, if it's not me (we have to live in hope!), is the winner is someone who needs it, remains in good health, takes the best of advice and puts their winnings to good use and gives to worthy causes. Again, unlike Brian, 'who just has to go and buy another ticket', I wonder is it some sort of post big jackpot Lotto dejection/ depression that I did not purchase a EuroMillions ticket in my local Centra this morning as the EuroMillions jackpot is ONLY ¤17 million tonight! – Yours, etc, JOE WALSH, Dublin.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cosmetic procedure legislation has been 'just sitting on somebody's desk' for eight years, medic says
Stalled legislation around regulating cosmetic procedures like botox and fillers is "just sitting on somebody's desk" for eight years with "no impetus to push it forward" until a death occurs, a leading medical practitioner has warned. A decision is expected from the Government shortly about recommencing drafting of legislation to regulate such cosmetic procedures. It comes amid concern at the lack of regulation in the area, amid high-profile cases in the UK about botox and other procedures in recent weeks. The Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill was approved by the then government in December 2017 and subsequently underwent pre-legislative scrutiny. It was then referred to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting. However, it has not progressed since then. Currently, botox is supposed to be only available through prescription, under the administration of qualified doctors and dentists. However, it is arriving into Ireland regularly, as seizures conducted by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) show. Last year, some 1,709 units of fake or illegal products claiming to contain botulinum toxin were seized, compared with just 26 in 2020. Unlike botox, dermal filler is not yet subjected to stringent regulations, meaning that people can be administered it in unsafe settings and environments. Botox survey This week's Irish Examiner Women's Health Report shows that a growing number of women – particularly those under 34 – feel positive towards cosmetic treatments and plastic surgery procedures including brow lifts, 'nose jobs', and breast augmentation. Just over a tenth (12%) of the 1,078 women interviewed for the IPSOS B&A survey conducted over a two-week period had undergone a procedure involving botox or fillers. Of those who had undergone botox or anti-wrinkle injections, 82% would consider doing it again. Almost half who underwent either of these two procedures admitted to having done them for a confidence boost. Similarly, 47% of those who had lip fillers or injections also said they done it for confidence. Just 50% said they had done the latter for anti-aging purposes – compared with 66% who said they had done botox or anti-wrinkle injections for anti-aging reasons. Dublin-based aesthetic medical practitioner Dr Eithne Brenner said regulation in Ireland is slow. 'I think it (legislation) has just been sitting on somebody's desk and there is no impetus to push it forward. Until we get something shocking like an Irish death, I don't think we are going to get enough change. We are behind in terms of legislation and we really need it.' A statement from the Department of Health said: 'A decision is now being sought from the Government to recommence drafting of the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill. A memo for Government will be considered at Cabinet shortly.' Last week in the UK, 14 people from County Durham and Darlington experienced "adverse reactions" including eye drooping and double vision following "botulinum toxin" injections. Of those, 10 people had required treatment. Read More Register of approved practitioners offering botox and fillers to be established
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
The wild west of beauty: why Ireland's cosmetic treatment craze needs taming
Type 'botox party' into your search engine and watch as almost two million results pop up. Among the items there to grab your attention are card designs for invites to such a party, videos on how to 'experience the excitement of botox parties', tips on how to run such an event, and a 'what you need to know' guide for those just starting out on such an adventure. Botox, fillers, and other cosmetic procedures are now as normal as booking in for a hair appointment, a chin wax, or a dental scale and polish. More traditionally associated with a select number of providers, the offering open to people now who are looking for cosmetic improvements is wide, with people also considering travelling abroad for procedures, or simply getting together with 'the girls' for a laugh, a drink, and a shot of botulinum toxin (botox) in the comfort of their own home. This week's Irish Examiner Women's Health Report shows that a growing number of women, particularly in the under 34 age profile, feel positive towards cosmetic treatments and plastic surgery procedures including brow lifts, 'nose jobs', and breast augmentation. For example, 44% of those in the 25 to 34 age bracket felt positively about cosmetic treatments compared with just 17% of the over 65 category. While there is slightly more reticence about plastic surgery procedures among all age cohorts, the age differential remains. Over a third, 35%, of those in the 25-34 age category felt positively about plastic surgery compared with just 10% in the over 65 category. Overall, 12% of the 1,078 women interviewed for the Ipsos B&A survey conducted over a two-week period had undergone a procedure involving botox or fillers. For the vast majority of respondents, the experience was positive. Of those who had undergone botox or anti-wrinkle injections, 82% would consider doing it again. Why do people do it? So why do people do it? Almost half of women who opted for cosmetic treatments such as botox or anti-wrinkle injections did it to boost their confidence. The desire to roll back the years was also evident in the responses with 50% saying they had undergone lip fillers/injections for anti-ageing purposes, compared with 66% who said they had done botox or anti-wrinkle injections for anti-ageing reasons. In recent years, dental practices across the country began offering cosmetic procedures including botox and dermal fillers, with the Dental Council having its own code of conduct for the area, which was updated in 2023. The Irish Examiner survey shows that while one in seven of the surveyed women were aware of dentists offering cosmetic procedures, just one in 10 knew GPs also offered such services. Dublin-based aesthetic medicine practitioner Eithne Brenner has been a doctor for 36 years, including 25 years as a GP. She diverted her focus to aesthetic medicine in 2007 and says that her clients are mainly women in the over 45 category, who are looking for cosmetic work to tackle signs of ageing. 'I do work with lasers improving people's ruddy complexions, doing work that can be very subtle and very effective,' said Dr Brenner. 'The filler side of it is one of the areas where there is still a lot of bad work out there. I don't see the younger girls at all because they are looking for a bargain in somebody's kitchen. "I tend to see people 45 or 50 plus who want subtle changes and they are terrified of looking different but they want something. My work is more restorative. The younger girls are going to beauticians and people who are cheaper. They take more risks. 'I have colleagues who do amazing breast reconstruction for somebody who has very heavy, very droopy boobs and pain. In the right hands, surgery can be transformative. But it is about doing research. These are very serious medical procedures.' Dr Brenner accepts that there is more awareness now of the dangers of unscrupulous people carrying out cosmetic procedures but said: 'There is still a drive for plastic surgery and there is an issue of how do we raise our younger generation to be really careful and know they don't need these things.' Currently, botox is supposed to be only available through prescription, under the administration of qualified doctors and dentists. However, as seizures conducted by the Health Products Regulatory Authority show, there is a thriving market for counterfeit and illegal versions in Ireland. Last year, 1,709 units of fake or illegal products claiming to contain botulinum toxin were seized, compared with just 26 in 2020. Unlike botox, dermal filler is not yet subjected to stringent regulations, meaning that it can be administered in unsafe settings and environments. Legislation delayed Legislation mooted in 2016 still has not been enacted for governing the area of cosmetic procedures. The Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill was approved by the then government in 2017 and subsequently underwent pre-legislative scrutiny. It was then referred to the Office of the Attorney General for drafting. In March, in answer to a parliamentary question, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the legislation remained with the AG's office and that her department continues to work on it. She said it will, for the first time, 'introduce a licensing requirement for all hospitals, public and private, and certain designated high-risk activities in the community'. The general scheme of the bill outlines that 'designated activities are likely to initially relate to cosmetic surgery services but other services may be added over time as the licensing system becomes embedded in the health system'. Social Democrats health spokesman Pádraig Rice called the delay in progressing the bill unacceptable. 'It's almost eight years since the draft legislation received government approval, and yet there is no sign of the final bill,' said Mr Rice. 'In that time, there has been an exponential increase in demand for unregulated cosmetic procedures. Until Hiqa has the necessary accreditation, inspection, and enforcement powers, patients will continue to fall into the hands of unqualified practitioners.' Almost half of women who opted for cosmetic treatments such as botox or anti-wrinkle injections did it to boost their confidence, and the desire to roll back the years was also evident in the responses, the IPsos B&A survey found. Last week in the UK, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that 14 people from Co Durham and Darlington had experienced 'adverse reactions' including eye drooping and double vision following a procedure involving 'botulinum toxin' injections. Of those, 10 people required treatment as a result. The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said that investigations were ongoing 'but evidence so far does not suggest that the product used has been contaminated' and that 'symptoms are being reported a few weeks after injection'. It added: 'UKHSA has issued advice to clinicians to ensure that they look out for botulism in people who may have had a recent aesthetic procedure in order to provide them appropriate treatment which includes giving anti-toxin.' Meanwhile, a public health notice was issued in the past 10 days by the UKHSA asking clients of an aesthetics company in Wolverhampton who received 'vampire facials' to contact it to arrange free blood tests, due to concerns about the risk of bloodborne viruses including hepatitis. The notice said that 'inadequate cleaning of equipment used for this treatment at the clinic' had been identified as 'a risk to health'. Dr Brenner is adamant that progress needs to be made on the planned Irish legislation and cites the recent UK cases as examples of why there needs to be regulation of the sector. 'Botox is a prescription-only medicine so you have to see a doctor or dentist for a consultation to make sure you are suitable,' she said. 'But there is absolute widespread fraud and illegal use among non-medical staff and we do know there is illegal product coming into the country. When we get into fillers, it is even more Wild West. They are not counted as a medicine at all, they are counted as a medical device, a bit like a bandage. "So you could legally go onto any website, buy filler, and inject one of your friends and you are technically not breaking the law. There are good quality products but there is also a tonne of cheap stuff.' She said that people opting to buy bargain filler products online have no concept of 'cleanliness, hygiene, safety, anatomy'. Unscrupulous use of filler products can lead to strokes or other health implications such as scarring and loss of tissue, she added. 'It has been really trivialised. It has become like a commodity like getting your hair done. I do think in the 40 plus age group, they are more cautious and more nervous of looking overdone and they are the people who come to a medical person. "But the younger ones are very bargain-led, which you can understand, but that is where there is a safety issue. And you have people doing what are major surgical procedures and all that kinds of crazy things in filthy conditions. 'There was a death last year of a mum of five in the UK who died from having a litre of filler injected into each buttock.' Dr Brenner said that botox parties are not the right location for such a procedure. People could be on medications that they might not disclose in a public setting at a party. It is not conducive to cleanliness or confidentiality.' A spokesperson for the Department of Health told the Irish Examiner: 'The general scheme of the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill was approved by government on December 12, 2017. It underwent pre-legislative scrutiny at the Oireachtas joint committee of health on June 13, 2018, was subsequently referred to the Attorney General's Office for drafting. 'Legislative priority was given to the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 which was commenced in September 2024. 'A decision is now being sought from the Government to recommence drafting of the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill. A memo for Government will be considered at Cabinet shortly.'
