Nothing inhibiting gardaí or Butler from investigating nursing home claims, says Taoiseach

Micheál Martin at the opening opening of the Haulbowline People's Park in Co Cork on Saturday. Picture: Neil Michael

Neither garda detectives nor Mary Butler are “inhibited” from investigating allegations of neglect or abuse or other safeguarding issues in nursing homes, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said.

He was responding to questions about the Minister of State for Older People’s announcement that she would refer such allegations to gardaí, despite previously promising to investigate allegations herself personally.

The Irish Association of Social Workers have previously expressed concerns that gardaí will struggle to run any investigation into safeguarding issues in nursing homes as there is no primary safeguarding legislation allowing them to do so.

Attending the opening of the People’s Park Haulbowline in Co Cork yesterday, he said that such an investigation will not get underway until after the pandemic is over.

“In terms of any allegations that are made, no one is inhibited in terms of pursuing an investigation if such an investigation is necessary,” he said.

Asked if Ms Butler was in a position to investigate, he said this was Hiqa's role. However, Hiqa has made it clear it will not run an investigation.

When this was put to him, Mr Martin replied: “Sorry, but what we are doing is dealing with the pandemic.” 

“Well I think the most important thing we do now, is concentrate on the pandemic.” He said it was all about “protecting people”, and “all hands on deck, particularly in the health service”.

And he added: “We simply have to have our key personnel and the health service focused on dealing with the pandemic.

“And in terms of any subsequent inquiries, my view has always been that they have to be about evaluating how we did as a country, learn lessons from that, so that we can inform future practices, and future behaviour in terms of future pandemics or future emergencies.” 

Despite two major government-initiated reports with recommendations written and produced during and immediately after the first two waves, more people died in nursing homes after those reports came out in the third phase than in the first two together.

The death toll stands at just over 2,000.

Relatives of those who died are furious at the way the Government has handled this aspect of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Sage Advocacy said nursing home residents and families are “eagerly looking forward” to a return to normal visiting from Monday. However executive director Sarah Lennon said: “We are extremely concerned that already our nursing home residents' family forum is dealing with reports from family members and residents that some nursing home providers do not intend to immediately adhere to the new HSE guidelines.”

She described this as “unacceptable”.