The Irish Independent's View: Sweeping reforms of nursing-home care must be prioritised
However, when those being let down so badly are some of the most vulnerable people in our country, this is unacceptable.
When confronted over the 'scandalous' treatment of older people in privately run nursing homes, as revealed by RTÉ, Taoiseach Micheál Martin replied that he had 'no issue' with bigger fines being imposed. The question mark left hanging in the air was: Why are greater fines for abuses not already in place?
Mr Martin must surely recognise that when you are charged with running a country and are confronted by serious failures, it is you who has responsibility to not only prevent such breaches, but to ensure they do not happen again.
Faith in the level of state concern for the welfare and protection of older people has been undermined. If it is to be repaired, we need to see tougher measures to guarantee standards of care are being taken seriously and will be rigorously upheld.
Where there ought to have been zero tolerance, we have instead seen too many betrayals of trust when it comes to maintaining safeguards for older people in care.
As pointed out by Sinn Féin's health spokesperson David Cullinane, 75pc of Ireland's nursing homes are privately run. He was correct to say that 'older people are being failed'.
Old age is not a disease – it is strength and survivorship
It will also trouble many to learn that Hiqa – the regulator for nursing homes – does not have the 'far-reaching powers' it needs to deal with the private firms that run them. Its chief, Angela Fitzgerald, told the Oireachtas Committee on Health that the watchdog can only direct individual providers to do something and that it does not have 'powers' to direct companies.
Also addressing the committee, junior minister Kieran O'Donnell said he too had 'concerns' about the increasing privatisation of the nursing-home sector. He said it was his hope that further safeguards would be brought forward 'as a matter of urgency'.
One has to wonder why, two decades after the appalling revelations concerning abuses of the elderly at Leas Cross, there could be any lack of enforcement measures to make all those involved in nursing-home care accountable for mistreatment of any kind.
Given that the entire landscape has been transformed with the predominance of private-care concerns, it is extraordinary that stringent enforcement controls were not also put in place.
Sweeping reform of regulations and standards must be prioritised if trust is to be restored.
American activist Maggie Kuhn, who founded the Gray Panthers movement to campaign for older people, said: 'Old age is not a disease – it is strength and survivorship, triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trials and illnesses.'
After a lifetime's service, older people surely should not have to battle their own State for their basic rights.
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Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- Irish Independent
The Irish Independent's View: Sweeping reforms of nursing-home care must be prioritised
However, when those being let down so badly are some of the most vulnerable people in our country, this is unacceptable. When confronted over the 'scandalous' treatment of older people in privately run nursing homes, as revealed by RTÉ, Taoiseach Micheál Martin replied that he had 'no issue' with bigger fines being imposed. The question mark left hanging in the air was: Why are greater fines for abuses not already in place? Mr Martin must surely recognise that when you are charged with running a country and are confronted by serious failures, it is you who has responsibility to not only prevent such breaches, but to ensure they do not happen again. Faith in the level of state concern for the welfare and protection of older people has been undermined. If it is to be repaired, we need to see tougher measures to guarantee standards of care are being taken seriously and will be rigorously upheld. Where there ought to have been zero tolerance, we have instead seen too many betrayals of trust when it comes to maintaining safeguards for older people in care. As pointed out by Sinn Féin's health spokesperson David Cullinane, 75pc of Ireland's nursing homes are privately run. He was correct to say that 'older people are being failed'. Old age is not a disease – it is strength and survivorship It will also trouble many to learn that Hiqa – the regulator for nursing homes – does not have the 'far-reaching powers' it needs to deal with the private firms that run them. Its chief, Angela Fitzgerald, told the Oireachtas Committee on Health that the watchdog can only direct individual providers to do something and that it does not have 'powers' to direct companies. Also addressing the committee, junior minister Kieran O'Donnell said he too had 'concerns' about the increasing privatisation of the nursing-home sector. He said it was his hope that further safeguards would be brought forward 'as a matter of urgency'. One has to wonder why, two decades after the appalling revelations concerning abuses of the elderly at Leas Cross, there could be any lack of enforcement measures to make all those involved in nursing-home care accountable for mistreatment of any kind. Given that the entire landscape has been transformed with the predominance of private-care concerns, it is extraordinary that stringent enforcement controls were not also put in place. Sweeping reform of regulations and standards must be prioritised if trust is to be restored. American activist Maggie Kuhn, who founded the Gray Panthers movement to campaign for older people, said: 'Old age is not a disease – it is strength and survivorship, triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trials and illnesses.' After a lifetime's service, older people surely should not have to battle their own State for their basic rights.
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Insights can reveal the way forward
Readers can see the results of the Irish Examiner's national women's survey in these pages today, distilling the attitudes and experiences of over 1,000 women from across the country. Those women articulated their experiences of fertility, birth and pregnancy loss, mental health services, cosmetic treatments, menopause, and other matters — offering valuable insights into the realities of women's lives. For instance, while we may be familiar anecdotally with the difficulties some people have accessing GPs, the survey shows that two in five of Irish women feel it is difficult to get a GP appointment. If more than 40% of the women in Ireland share that experience, then surely this is one of the starkest yet least-publicised crises in our healthcare system. The survey also gives us hints and indications of how other contemporary challenges impinge on women. One in four said they would delay childbirth until they had achieved financial or career goals, and it is easy to discern the housing crisis lurking in the background here. Childbirth is a major theme in the survey, with clear signs that family size in Ireland is likely to continue to fall — half of the mothers surveyed with a single child indicated that they would like a second child, a major change from the large families of the 70s and even the 80s. This is a finding with clear demographic implications for the country going forward. The role of the State in women's lives is weighed up here, with plenty of support for the State-funded hormone replacement treatment programme, but its faltering introduction is echoed in the cold facts: Just 48% of women in menopause have availed of the scheme. The information about specific areas of women's lives in this survey should inform how policy is determined, and how those policies are subsequently implemented. That is the true value of data like this. However, there are also more general challenges to be found among these results. For instance, it should certainly give everyone pause to read that 38% of women surveyed often feel lonely or isolated. That is an astonishing revelation. It may be some consolation to some of those women to see that they are not the only ones to feel that way, but a far greater consolation would be the provision of better and more accessible health services for women across the board. A worrying trend in public life As reported here, the Cork office of Taoiseach Micheál Martin was vandalised recently. This is far from the first time the property has been attacked, however, it was splashed with red paint and graffiti left on the walls on this occasion. In the recent past, the Taoiseach has also received personal threats and has been warned that he will be prevented from going about his job in public spaces. Robust exchanges are a natural part of politics, but this is going beyond the pale and should be condemned in the strongest terms. Such vandalism and threats are completely unacceptable in and of themselves, and also as markers of a worrying trend in Irish public life. Issuing threats and the use of other intimidatory tactics are indicative of an increasingly dangerous atmosphere in Irish politics. Ours is not the only country witnessing a coarsening of public discourse, but there are lessons to be learned from other jurisdictions. For instance, the growth of far-right groups in Britain was linked directly to the killing of MP Jo Cox in 2016. In the US, there has been a sharp rise in political violence in recent years, ranging from the invasion of the US Capitol in January 2021 to the killings last weekend in Minnesota of Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, while another local politician and his wife were also shot several times though they are recovering in hospital. Readers may point to significant differences between Ireland and the US in particular, where the sharp polarisation of political views, the toxic influence of president Donald Trump, and the wide availability of guns make for a deadly mixture. However, there is no room for complacency here when the person in the highest elected office in the land has his premises vandalised and faces threats to his safety. The operation of a free and open democracy is predicated on the safety of all citizens, who are entitled to live without fear or intimidation. Golden ticket Any reader who did not reflexively check a EuroMillions ticket in the last day or two either possesses superhuman restraint or is simply lying. News that an Irish player is in line for a €250m payday has probably led to many a daydream. Though the figure is so high as to be difficult to grasp, that is hardly a bar to idle thoughts of Caribbean hideaways and fleets of luxury cars. The general advice from the National Lottery to the winner is to have a cup of tea and stay calm, which is reasonable. Older readers may recall the likes of Viv Nicholson, who blew a pools win in the 1960s, and whose chaotic life remains a cautionary tale for those who suddenly wake up rich. For the benefit of any reader who may be fishing a ticket out of their coat pocket or from behind the couch, the numbers are 13, 22, 23, 44, 49, and the Lucky Stars were 3 and 5. Get in touch if they look familiar.
Irish Times
17 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘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.
