Minister's reaction: Minister for Health Mary Harney yesterday expressed her regret at the findings of the Leas Cross report, describing them as "deeply upsetting".
Ms Harney said the deficiencies of care for older people outlined in the report displayed a complete lack of respect for older people and their dignity.
"In this instance, and in others, older people in care and their families were badly let down. I deeply regret the upset it has caused them."
The Minister promised that legislation to allow for the setting up of a robust inspection and registration regime, the Health Bill 2006, would be cleared by the Cabinet before the end of the month and published before Christmas.
She said she wanted to see the legislation through the Oireachtas "hopefully before Easter of next year".
Ms Harney said the Bill would provide for the first time for an independent statutory body to set standards and inspect all nursing home places, both public and private. The Bill will also strengthen the registration and de-registration process.
New standards for all long-term residential care facilities for older people have already been prepared, she added.
The Minister said the Act was taking so long to draft as it was "a major piece of legislation" and there has to be a major consultation process.
Asked how the nursing home repayments legislation was fast- tracked, and not the Health Bill, she said the repayments legislation was short and didn't involve a whole new authority and regime in Ireland. "It was a very simple Bill and this is a major piece of health reform, a very long Bill that is taking some time to prepare."
Ms Harney said the report should be referred to the gardaí. "There are issues in the report, particularly in relation to the Misuse of Drugs Act, and I think those matters need to be advanced by the Law Enforcement Agency."
But she ruled out a public inquiry into Leas Cross. "It's the HSE that has responsibility for this area and it's not a matter for the Government or the Minister for Health," she said, adding that she did not think any purpose would be served by establishing a public inquiry.
She said the Government made additional funding for older people a priority in last year's Budget with an extra €150 million, bringing the total budget for services for older people to €1.2 billion. She promised a substantial funding increase for these services in the forthcoming budget.
"We have greater support for older people to remain in the community but there is still a major gap in how we support older people. In the past we relied on families.
"I have been working on a policy initiative for some time . . . and I hope to bring that outcome of policy consideration to the Cabinet very shortly because there are major anomalies in how we fund and support older people in community care in private nursing homes in particular."
Ms Harney said there was a responsibility not to frighten older people and their families. "I think in the vast majority of cases older people in residential care are very well looked after. This [ Leas Cross] is, I believe, the exception. But I have to acknowledge, like the disability sector for many years, we are playing catch-up here. There has been historic underfunding . . . and there has been a failure to establish a separate statutory agency."