Nursing home body by autumn pledge

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday promised that legislation to establish an independent inspectorate for nursing homes will be published in the autumn — over four years after the Government committed to do so in its National Health Strategy.

On a day when Dáil proceedings and the weekly Cabinet meeting were dominated by the political fallout from RTÉ’s PrimeTime investigation into the Leas Cross nursing home, Mr Ahern did not attempt to defend government inaction over many years in setting up an inspectorate.

The Taoiseach said that “no excuse can be offered or should be (offered) by way of trying to defend what happened” and the lack of training, management and supervision exposed by Prime Time.