Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today insisted no government had done more than his to support older people amid criticism in the Dail that no action had been taken to prevent abuse in care homes.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny accused the Taoiseach of betraying the public by failing to bring in legislation to protect residents in the wake of the Leas Cross controversy.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny speaking in the Dail.
Labelled a national scandal when it was uncovered last year, older people in the north Dublin home were found to have been subjected to a catalogue of shocking degradation by staff.
The opposition leader said a year on people were still waiting for action.
But Mr Ahern said: "This government has done more, put in more effort and resources and staff and equipment and services both in the hospitals, in the homes and the carers for the homes than any government ever has."
In the wake of the Lea's Cross controversy, the Government pledged to introduce legislation to set up an inspectorate to monitor care homes.
The Fine Gael leader said Mr Ahern had promised to act speedily following the Lea's Cross scandal, but failed.
"It's a standard response from the Government, a reflex action, promise the world and do nothing," the Mayo TD said. "You promised specifically that we would have the legislation for an independent nursing inspectorate by the autumn of 2005, autumn last year.
Enda Kenny
"The reality is Taoiseach that there is no legislation and there won't be any legislation until 2007 and the fact of the matter is that you are running out of time, time and power.
"But the people that have been betrayed by your Government are running out of time also, they're old, Taoiseach and the things they haven't got are time and confidence in your word."
Mr Kenny asked why had the legislation not been produced, why would the inspectors not be independent and why have the reports into the Lea's Cross Nursing Home not been published.
Mr Ahern said the legislation is being prepared and the inspectors would be independent of the Health Service Executive who provide the service and resources which were being poured into social welfare services.
"At the moment we're spending €150 million, this year is the highest amount that we have spent on the elderly, it's an unprecedented increase in the services for the elderly," he said. "A lot of that money and resources is being put into the home care support packages, we've €55 million allocated in the last Budget into that.
"The old-age pensions we've increased, the medical cards we've increased, the carer benefits, the carer leave, the childcare benefits, all of these, the carers allowance means test, all these issues are hugely helpful."
Mr Kenny asked again why the legislation promised by the Taoiseach had not been produced and the O'Neill Report into 95 deaths at Leas Cross has not been published despite it being with Government for eight or nine months. Mr Ahern added that the heads of the Bill were out for consultation.
PA