Ahern insists new nursing home body will be autonomous

The Government hopes to pass the nursing homes inspectorate legislation by the end of the year and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insists the inspectorate will be independent of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

He rejected Fine Gael allegations that Government had failed to address the "scandalous abuse of the elderly" and said this administration "has put in more efforts, resources, staff, equipment and services for hospitals, homes and carers than any other Government". Some €150 million, the most ever spent on the elderly, was being used to provide an unprecedented increase in services for them, he said.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that a year after the RTÉ Prime Time programme on the Leas Cross nursing home, which showed "abysmal standards of nursing care and inspection", the Government had still not produced legislation which the Taoiseach had promised would be published in autumn 2005.

"Those who have been betrayed by his Government are running out of time as they are old. What they do not have is time and confidence in his word." Mr Kenny pointed to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day today and said it was "time to take cognisance of the problem".

He asked why the legislation had not been produced, why the nursing homes inspectorate would not be independent and why the reports on Leas Cross had not been published.

Mr Kenny said the Taoiseach had promised the inspectorate would be independent but "I understand the HSE will retain overall authority, meaning that it will not be independent".

Rejecting the criticism, Mr Ahern said the deputy was "simply not correct and he knows it".

The inspectorate would be independent, the heads of the Bill for the inspectorate had been published for consultation.

"We hope to pass the legislation later this year after it has benefited from the wisdom of the consultation process."

He said the Government had not received the O'Neill report into the Leas Cross home, that the HSE still had it. "Constitutional issues of natural justice have arisen which must go through a very painful legal process before this is dealt with."