Martin backs calls to investigate nursing home abuse allegations

The Taoiseach said he will provide resources for investigations a specific facilities, but stopped short of committing to a national inquiry

The Taoiseach has backed a promise by the Minister for Older Persons to investigate allegations of abuse in specific nursing homes - but he stopped short of saying whether this would lead to a wider, and possibly national, inquiry into the sector.

Micheál Martin promised he will provide the resources to back the investigations proposed by Mary Butler, though he was reluctant to say how far the process would go.

He said: “We can't prejudge an investigation.

“If one is going to initiate an investigation, one has to be open-minded and has to do so without prejudice.” 

He was asked if he supported the minister’s announcement to the Irish Examiner that she's going to investigate allegations of abuse in nursing homes.

He was also asked if he would give her the resources to make those investigations.

The Irish Examiner also asked him if a large number of those allegations can be substantiated, could her work form the basis of an inquiry into the allegations of abuse in nursing homes during the pandemic.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he would not pre-judge the outcome of any investigation

He said: “I've no doubt that there can be specific allegations in respect of specific nursing homes, which will be investigated, and always the resources and support will be provided to that.

“The minister has my support and the minister will be reporting to the government and to me as Taoiseach in respect of many issues that arise.

“She has alerted me to certain issues in respect of certain reports.” 

During the week, Ms Butler vowed to investigate allegations of elder abuse in nursing homes during the pandemic.

And she promised that not only would she “leave no stone unturned”, but she would also personally meet representatives of families of loved ones who were abused.

When told of stories printed in the Irish Examiner earlier this year and recently, she said she would “take on board everything”.

“I would be happy to meet family representatives,” she promised.

She also said she would take on board “everything” that is being said and will take “any” allegation seriously.

She even said that she will not only have the allegations looked into in-depth by her officials but she will take a direct interest in them herself.

In the Dáil yesterday, several TDs called for extensive investigations into the number of nursing home deaths in the pandemic. Among the concerns raised were staffing levels in some facilities and the access to PPE for staff and residents alike.

Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd raised an Irish Examiner report detailing one patient, who died later, who said "he was not in a nursing home but on death row, because there were so many dead bodies being wheeled past the door of his room".

He said a public inquiry must be carried out into the "appalling" number of deaths in Dealgan House Nursing Home, Kilbrew nursing home, Ballynoe, Cahercalla, and Tara Winthrop Private Clinic.

"Those families suffered grievously as a result of the care they did not get and they are concerned," the Louth TD told the Dáil.

Acknowledging the 5,000 people who have passed away during the pandemic, Fianna Fáil's Cormac Devlin said everyone has been "struck by the sense of sadness and anger at conditions in some of the nursing homes".

This was echoed by Social Democrat co-leader Róisín Shortall who said the stories coming out of nursing homes were devastating.