A REPORT expressing concern about the safety of residents at the Dublin hostel where two women were murdered was made four nights before the killings.
A member of the nursing staff at St Brendan's psychiatric hospital, where the women were out patients living in a terraced housing complex opposite the hospital grounds, included the concerns in a report for hospital management written after a night on duty.
It was the most recent of a number of such reports, according to Mr Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association. The association would issue a statement this week he said, detailing the reports that have been made about it.
A row broke out between the association and the Eastern Health Board on Friday when the association said former hospital residents who lived in the house were unsupervised, with no nurse supervision at night.
The EHB said it was "appalled" that an association representing nursing staff should appear to use the tragic event "to pursue trade union objectives".
Mr Kavanagh said yesterday that nurses on duty compiled a report each night. This was forwarded to the nursing office and then to the hospital's medical staff. If it was considered important, the matter was taken further he said.
He said the Grangegorman hostel had been the subject of discussion a number of times at EHB rehabilitation committee meetings. There was a divergence of opinion between management and nurses about the staff numbers necessary at night, he said.
"A few doors down from the house where the murders happened are hostels that are staffed at night. Nurses from there have expressed concern about that house in the past. What happened is a terrible tragedy and we are concerned about security and supervision, and we said that long before this happened."
He said that some of the residents in these hostels were not fully security minded and sometimes left their doors open. "This kind of thing happens and has happened at that house in the past."
He said they agreed with the health board there was no defined number for staffing levels. Different hostels were catering for people with different needs, he said. In some cases one staff member would be enough, provided there was proper support.
"But there were particular concerns in relation to this hostel and the supervision of the residents. What we are saying to the board is that you need to get the balance right. The board tends to be governed by economics," said Mr Kavanagh. He said the Psychiatric Nurses Association supported the programme of integration.