Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I extend my deepest sympathy to the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, on the death of Senator Kate Walsh. As I indicated in the House yesterday, I knew Kate when she was elected to Kildare County Council many years ago. She was a fine, jovial person who maintained high standards and acted most unselfishly in giving herself to those she represented. May she rest in peace.

I commend the Minister on establishing a commission of investigation into the management, operation and supervision of Leas Cross nursing home. I agree with Senator Terry that this issue has been ongoing for some time. As I stated during a debate in the House on MRSA in hospitals, the problems were operational and arose because people did not do their job. They were either deaf, pretended not to hear or were blind in one eye and could not see in the other. These types of practices must be rooted out of the health service.

Elderly people, who built the State and put us where we are as a nation, are highly vulnerable. It is terrible to think they would receive this type of treatment in the winter of their lives. I use the word "treatment" sparingly because they were not treated to the standards one would expect in a modern nursing home.

The Minister spelled out clearly and concisely what will be the procedures and I welcome the mechanism to close down substandard nursing homes. When standards in a nursing home are found not to be up to scratch how long will it take to close down the home?

I welcome measures for the elderly the Minister has introduced in recent years. In 2006, the budget for the elderly was €1.2 million and the figure will increase this year. The budget for nursing home subvention has increased to €160 million from a mere €15 million in 1994, its first full year in operation. The introduction of 3,000 home care packages is a further important initiative. As anyone involved with the care of the elderly will agree, hospitalising people who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease adds to their confusion. It is reasonable to assume the number of home care packages, which will help to keep people in their home environment where they are more easily managed, will be further increased.

The system in Leas Cross failed abysmally. I fail to understand how people could continue to draw their wages while the events in the nursing home took place. In addition, in certain cases it is not possible for a carer to continue providing care for a person in the home because his or her health will suffer if changes are not made. If and when this happens, both ends of the house are on fire.

Since my time in the nursing profession more than 30 years ago, I have raised the infrequency of visits to residents in long-stay nursing homes. This has been a major bone of contention with me. I drew the ire of certain entities when I announced in the House what I believed was happening but I was proved right. For example, in one case a lady who went to visit her favourite aunt discovered that her relative had been dead for 16 years. She had thought about her aunt a great deal without knowing she was dead. Incidents such as this anger me. Will the Minister consider introducing a mechanism to ensure the management of long-stay institutions contact immediate relatives or friends of residents to exhort them to visit their loved ones?

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has stepped into the breach in the case of long-stay residents of psychiatric institutions. Members of the society have taken residents under their wing, as it were, by visiting them regularly and bringing them little presents, which makes their lives a little easier and better.

I am delighted the Minister has introduced this measure, which is of tremendous importance. I wish it had been done long ago as, if it had been, we might not be discussing what took place at Leas Cross. Let the truth come out in its entirety. Let those who have questions to answer, answer them. There can be no hiding place for them. I compliment the Minister on the establishment of this commission and compliment Mr. Derry O'Donovan, SC, who will report to the Minister within 12 months of the commencement of its work. Well done to all. I wish the commission well.