Kildare TD calls for end of privatised nursing homes
Photo for illustrative purposes only
Mark Wall, the TD for Kildare South and his party’s spokesperson on older people has this week (1 July) called for a ‘Fair Deal for Care’ by ending the privatisation of Ireland’s nursing home sector and delivering a statutory right to home care.
Deputy Wall’s call comes as the Labour Party brings a motion in the Dáil this week to break the hold multinational corporations and foreign investment funds have on Ireland’s nursing home sector.
The motion also seeks to deliver a ‘Fair Deal for Care’, through delivering a statutory right to home care, giving older people the choice to age in their own home.
“We need a Fair Deal for Care, and this means ending the privatisation of nursing home care, giving older people the choice to age in their own home and community,” said Deputy Wall.
“The motion being brought before the Dáil is the start of a national movement to end the stranglehold multinational corporations and foreign investment funds have on Ireland’s nursing home sector.
“This national movement begins by the State nationalising the 27 nursing homes controlled by Emeis Ireland, including the six that are located in Kildare. Our motion aims to deliver a radical reform of the nursing home sector, through minimum staffing levels, giving stronger enforcement powers to HIQA and delivering adult safeguarding legislation. For too long we have allowed shareholders to place profits ahead of the well-being and care of our older people. Government must accept that privatisation of care is a failed mode, and we cannot allow big businesses to profit off poor care practices while our older people suffer,” he concluded.
Deputy Wall points out that investigative journalism by RTÉ has again exposed distressing and unacceptable practices and conditions in private Irish nursing homes, 20 years on since the Lea’s Cross scandal.
Thirty per cent of nursing homes were privately owned 20 years ago, rising to nearly 80 per cent now, with Emeis Ireland one of the largest operators with 27 nursing homes.
