Kenny claims HSE knew of Leas Cross conditions

HEALTH authorities are facing fresh questions over the Leas Cross nursing home scandal amid allegations they were warned of conditions at the home nine months before they were made public by Prime Time.

Using Dáil privilege to make the allegation, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said he believed that health authorities were “given specific warnings about serious inadequacies in the inspection regime and were alerted to the type of activities which we saw to our horror in the programme”.

However, Fine Gael has declined to indicate where that information comes from, saying only the party can assure it is correct.

As a consequence, a spokesperson for the Health Services Executive (HSE) said it was “difficult to comment without a clear idea of what Deputy Kenny was basing his comments on”.

Mr Kenny also raised a June 2005 HSE report which was heavily critical of the manner in which Leas Cross was registered.

“In simple terms, it should not have been registered in the manner in which it was or indeed registered at all,” the report reads.

The report also details several apparent inadequacies in the manner in which inspections at the home were implemented.

Mr Kenny challenged Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to explain why a promised Social Services Inspectorate had not been legislated for.

Mr Ahern said huge resources had been ploughed into the care of the elderly and indicated that legislation to provide for an inspectorate was in preparation.

A spokesman for Health Minister Mary Harney said the matter would be included in the Health Bill which has been given an “urgent” status.

A HSE statement said the executive had moved swiftly to address the Leas Cross issue and then moved to address “deficiencies” in the inspection regulations.

The HSE said it was committed to “implementing a co-ordinated, standardised approach” to inspections to address different practices around the country.