Irish surrogacy laws now delayed as human trafficking concerns are raised
The Government has delayed commencing surrogacy laws amid concerns they could clash with an EU directive aimed at preventing human trafficking.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said in a parliamentary response this month that she cannot give a timeline as to when provisions of the Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) Act, passed last July, will start or when a new AHR amendment bill dealing with related issues, including retrospective surrogacy, will come into effect.
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Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Taoiseach calls for review of Hiqa after RTÉ exposé on nursing home abuse
The Taoiseach says there must be an investigation into how the health regulator failed to detect some of the abuse uncovered at two nursing homes. Micheál Martin insisted that the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) is well-resourced and fit for purpose, but said the Government plans to consider how it can strengthen oversight of nursing homes in the wake of the latest scandal. 'Since its beginning, it (Hiqa) came out of the quality and fairness strategy of 2002, which I published at the time, it was the first ever development in Ireland in terms of quality control and regulation within our health service,' Mr Martin said. 'Over the years its role has expanded. It has been effective and impactful in many areas. That has to be said. 'But certainly there has to be an examination of this situation - the regulatory framework didn't catch very horrific and shocking behaviour towards elderly people in nursing homes. That has to be taken on board.' He made his comments in Cork today, as Hiqa begins a review of all nursing homes operated by the Emeis Ireland group. The Health and Safety Authority is also preparing to carry out inspections at the two centres featured in the RTÉ Investigates documentary, which examined standards of care at Ireland's largest private nursing home provider. Mr Martin said: 'What happened and what was uncovered by RTÉ Investigates was absolutely and absolutely unacceptable. 'It illustrated in terms of the governance of those nursing homes, the ownership, a lack of a clear ethos and ethical framework in terms of respecting the dignity of every human being, of every person living in those nursing homes. 'We think of the families who had to watch that, who placed their loved ones in the care of those homes. 'It is quite shocking. It is not acceptable.' He rejected claims that the Government had neglected the complex needs of elderly people, pointing to a multi-stranded approach, including a doubling of expenditure on home care to over €800 million and significant investment in community district hospitals over the last five years. However, he acknowledged shortcomings in Hiqa's inspection methods. 'I think we have to stand back and take a look at how in one case anyway the inspections did reveal a lack of compliance - in another, not so - and that needs to be examined as to how that came about and are there better ways of getting in under this to make sure that this does not happen again,' he said. 'There will have to be increased vigilance from the regulatory approach and that is something that government will be looking at.' Despite the criticisms, he maintained that Hiqa remains effective. 'This is fundamentally about regulation and fundamentally about the regulatory frameworks governing both private and public,' he said. "There are safeguarding policies already in place. 'There is a new national safeguarding policy being developed, and parallel with that and after that obviously, which will take guidance from the strategy, legislation will be passed. 'But that in itself isn't the issue. It will be an additional help but fundamentally it's behaviour on a day-to-day basis. 'It is how homes are operated and it's the regulation then of that that ultimately will still have to be the first response and the key response to situations like this." He also emphasised the need for future legislation around home care. "The objective of most families is can we keep our loved one at home for as long as possible and that will be provided for legislatively, it is already provided for, we have doubled home care provision. 'I see that as taking up a significant part of the provision into the future. 'And we have invested very strongly in the public system which people may not realise through the refurbishment of existing community district hospitals across the country over the last 4 to 5 years. 'There will be additional investment in public facilities into the future. 'But it will continue to be a mix of public, private and home care to be absolutely realistic and pragmatic about it given the population growth and the ageing of the population,' he added. Read More Daughter of nursing home resident describes distressing scenes at Beneavin Manor
Irish Independent
19 hours ago
- Irish Independent
The Irish Independent's View: Great shame we do not have the legislation needed to underpin vital care of older people
One of the critical failings exposed then was the complete lack of focus in government agencies towards meeting the complex needs of older people. Then as now, they remain the key adult demographic for health and social care services. To hear two decades later that patients can still be badly mistreated, having their dignity and most basic needs ignored, is a terrible indictment of the State's commitment to the care of the very people who served it all their lives. Mr O'Donnell said there is a commitment for a national policy on safeguarding for adults in the Programme for Government and he wants this brought to the Cabinet before the summer recess. Most people will be astonished such a policy is not in place to protect people who may be vulnerable. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has said the Government is committed to developing the policy. But what does it say about respect for our people that such critical protections have not already been built into the infrastructure of care? Unless agencies have the necessary legal powers to enforce compliance, the potential for abuse will continue 'Even if there is one person being abused, that is a serious incident that should be followed up immediately,' said Safeguarding Ireland chairperson Patricia Rickard-Clarke. She appealed to the Government to implement the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission's report from last year. This would put a critical legal framework in place, she said. Former INMO chief Liam Doran said he felt shame, sadness, frustration and anger over the revelations in the RTÉ report. 'Looking at people who have served this country, have worked for this country and have shown fortitude much more than the modern generation, and that's how we treat them. Shame, shame on all of us,' he said. We have waited too long for the vital legislation needed to underpin the care of older people. Unless agencies have the necessary legal powers to enforce compliance, the potential for abuse will continue. Seán Moynihan of charity Alone has expressed fears that Ireland is 'walking into the privatisation of nursing homes', where economics seems more important than the rights of the older person. For older people to be left frightened by institutional failings is indefensible. German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer wrote: 'The first 40 years of life give us the text – the next 30 supply the commentary on it.' And what a sad commentary it is on our society that once again we have been found wanting when it comes to taking care of our older citizens. There are no excuses and no exceptions, for as the poet Gertrude Stein put it: 'We are always the same age inside.'
Irish Examiner
21 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Synthetic drugs pose 'emerging threat' across Ireland and Europe
Europe is facing an emerging threat from synthetic drugs — including artificial substances that mimic cannabis, heroin and stimulants — the EU drug agency has warned. It has documented 'unprecedented imports and seizures' of synthetic cathinones, which are chemically similar to cathinone, a stimulant. The European Union Drug Agency also flags the 'rising availability' of fake medicines containing highly potent nitazenes — a synthetic opioid that led to overdose outbreaks in Dublin and Cork at the end of 2023 and in several Irish prisons in 2024. In its European Union Drug Report 2025, the agency highlights a doubling in the strength of cannabis resin over the last decade and the risks posed by high-potency cannabis extracts and edibles, like jellies. The report said semi-synthetic cannabinoids have 'spread rapidly' in recent years. One of these substances, HHC, has been linked to serious psychological effects, including among schoolchildren in Cork in November 2023. HHC can be purchased legally in jellies and vapes from stores in Ireland, despite repeated concerns of medical experts. New provisions are being drafted to fill the legislative gap. The report is also alerting users of the dance drug ecstasy that they are exposing themselves to 'unpredictable health risks', as the content of the active ingredient, MDMA, has 'increased markedly'. It said the average MDMA content in ecstasy tablets has increased from about 84mg in 2011 to between 138mg and 158mg now, with some tablets containing up to 350mg. This warning chimes with an alert issued last week by the HSE, which said that one in four ecstasy pills it had tested in 2024 had more than 200mg of MDMA, which, it said, was more than double the typical adult dose. Issuing the alert as part of its harm reduction strategy for the coming festival season, the HSE said high-strength MDMA pills, powders and crystals in circulation increased the risk of 'getting very sick', including accidental overdose. The European Union Drug Agency report mentioned the HSE harm reduction campaign at music festivals, which included the testing of samples handed over to surrender bins, enabling live dissemination of rapid risk alerts to potential users. The agency said that similar to the more extensive trend with cannabis, MDMA had been found in edibles — such as sweets and lollipops — in some countries. 'As with cannabis edibles, these products pose difficulties in regulating dosage and increase the risk of inadvertent consumption, especially a concern if they are consumed by minors,' the report said. It said seizures of synthetic cathinones had increased from 2.1 tonnes in 2021, to 27 tonnes in 2022 and to 37 tonnes in 2023. The report said while synthetic cathinones have been shown to have similar effects and potential harms as stimulants like MDMA and amphetamine, they are a broad range of substances, some of which may have 'more severe' effects. The drug agency said synthetic cannabinoids were widely available online and in shops and include flavoured jellies and vapes. 'Their accessibility and supposed legal status may attract both cannabis users and first-time users, potentially including youth and children,' it said. Read More Quantity of cocaine seized in EU countries has almost doubled in past three years
