Health Bill due next year

The Dáil will consider the health Bill early next year, Tánaiste Michael McDowell told the Dáil.

He was responding to Opposition demands that legislation governing the independent nursing homes inspections be introduced.

Mr McDowell said that the Taoiseach had indicated three times over the past few days that the Bill was being drafted.

"It was the subject of extensive consultation, the heads of the Bill were published last March, and it will be dealt with when the Dáil resumes in the New Year."

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr McDowell had viewed with disbelief the information provided by Opposition members on the closing down of nursing homes.

"It seems the Government is terrified of the truth of these matters emerging. I understand the HSE announced this morning that no patients should be accepted by four further nursing homes. When these are added to the exposé by Deputy Fergus O'Dowd last night [ Wednesday] of a further case, which made a mockery of the Minister's statement yesterday [ Wednesday], it appears this matter is very serious."

Labour deputy leader Liz McManus said that while the Government embarked on a lengthy consultation process, there was no legislation in place to protect the elderly from institutional abuse. That, she added, was the Government's legacy, for which the Tánaiste must take full responsibility.