The outcome of an inquiry into standards of care at Killarney Community Hospital would not be made public except for its recommendations, the Southern Health Board said yesterday.
The councillor at whose instigation the inquiry was conducted described the decision as "dreadful".
The inquiry was established earlier this year after an independent councillor, Mr Brendan Cronin, went to the SHB with complaints raised by constituents.
The SHB appointed an independent investigator, Ms Noreen Spillane, senior nurse manager with the Mid Western Health Board, to inquire into the complaints.
Mr Cronin said he had been approached by a number of people earlier this year, who asked to meet him concerning the standards of care at the hospital.
"They put before me major concerns with regard to the treatment of elderly patients," he said.
"I met a number of former patients with their families. They highlighted for me certain things they felt bad about."
Mr Cronin contacted the Minister for Health and Children and the Southern Health Board.
As part of Ms Spillane's investigation, an advertisement was placed in local newspapers inviting people to come forward.
In all, the investigator received eight complaints.
A report on the inquiry was due to be presented to the SHB's general hospital committee this week but was withdrawn because, the SHB said, key personnel from Killarney Community Hospital were away.
Instead the report would be presented to the August meeting. Only the recommendations would be published - probably at the full board meeting in September - as the body of the report could identify people, the SHB said yesterday.
Mr Cronin said he was disgusted by the decision not to publish the full report. The reaction of people who had given evidence to the inquiry was going to be one of anger, he said. Numbers or letters could be used to protect the identities of people mentioned in it, he said.
Killarney Community Hospital is a service of the Southern Health Board.