More nursing homes face Ombudsman scrutiny

Residents of private nursing homes and their families will be able to bring a complaint to the Ombudsman following the extension of his powers by the Government.

Brendan Howlin, the public expenditure and reform minister, has extended the remit of the office to allow residents or their families take up their issues with Peter Tyndall.

It ends the grey area which meant more than 22,000 people living in long-term care could not make complaints to the office and is an issue that Mr Tyndall has been raising since late 2013.