Bill setting up nursing home inspectorate due within weeks
Minister for Health Mary Harney has promised to publish new legislation setting up an independent nursing home inspectorate within a matter of weeks.
Ms Harney was responding to questions about a HSE report warning that patients could be placed in homes where inspection teams have raised concerns.
She said the report in question was out of date and was compiled under the old health-board system.
The minister also said legislation to establish a new independent inspectorate would be published in the coming weeks and she hoped to take it through the Oireachtas early next year.
Speaking in the Dáil, meanwhile, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny accused the Government of not moving fast enough to set up the inspectorate.
Mr Kenny claimed action was urgently needed to improve standards, but the Taoiseach accused him of blowing the situation out of proportion.
He said one incident of poor standards referred to by the Fine Gael leader did not mean the problem was endemic.
"It's the easiest thing in the world to do, to find somewhere somewhere and paint that as if it's everywhere," he said.
