A MEMBER of the Southern Health Board has called for confidentiality guarantees for anyone reporting suspicions of abuse of elderly people to the authorities.
This follows claims that up to 10,000 elderly Irish people could be subject to abuse in their homes or institutions.
Mr Con O'Leary received threats of legal action after reporting claims of abuse of nursing home residents in Cork. He said people were being intimidated into remaining silent about such incidents.
As a result of his reports to the Southern Health Board a full inquiry was carried out. This found that regulations were not being adhered to in the home.
But 11 other complaints were not passed on to the inquiry team after the complainants were refused confidentiality.
"We were told they would have to be handed to the person against whom the complaints were made, and many of those who had made out these statements and signed them were reluctant to do this.
"There were many threats, open and veiled, made, and at the end of the day, if people are afraid they could lose their home as a result of being sued for making complaints, they will remain silent," he said.
Mr O'Leary, who is chairman of the Southern Health Board community welfare committee, called on the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, to guarantee confidentiality to complainants.
Mr O'Leary claims to have reports about a number of elderly people who died from neglect he would be willing to hand them over to the authorities if he was assured that they would not become the subject of litigation.