Calls for transparency into handling of complaints over nursing homes

There are calls for transparency over how complaints are handled in Irish nursing homes.

Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd discovered close to 700 complaints were lodged to HIQA last year but his request for details under the Freedom of Information Act was rejected.

Mr O'Dowd says he wants to know how the cases were handled and say he is concerned about how information is shared between relevant bodies, particularly in cases where vulnerable adults can't lodge their own objections.

"Many of them might be suffering from dementia, might have a disability, might be bed bound, wouldn't have the ability to communicate as well as a relative or indeed a worker in a home would have," he said.

"I believe that in the context of the regulator HIQA, communicating with the office of the Ombudsman, who is a state-appointed entity to do this work, that that should be seamless and should happen automatically."

Digital Desk