The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament’s View on the Recent RTÉ Investigates Programme on Nursing Homes

Pat Mellon – ISCP CEO

The recent RTÉ Investigates programme, “Inside Ireland’s Nursing Homes,” which aired on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, has brought a strong reaction from member organisations and individual members of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament”.

Our members have expressed disgust, shock, dismay, and anger at the revelations of neglect and abuse detailed in the RTÉ investigation. The programme, which focused on two privately-run nursing homes in Dublin and Portlaoise, exposed significant deficiencies in care, including instances of vulnerable residents being left unsupervised, delayed responses to essential needs like toilet use, and inadequate provision of basic necessities.

A recurring theme is the inadequacy of current regulatory frameworks.

There clearly is a need for much greater HSE involvement in clinical governance, staff supports, and monitoring of existing private facilities, along with an expanded investigative and disciplinary role for HIQA (Health Information and Quality Authority).

The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament once again call on the government to immediately introduce a Commissioner for Older People as there is in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Commissioner would have a say in policy and legislation and suggest ways to tackle inequalities in later life. A Commissioner would act an advocate and give older people a real voice that reflects their views and experiences, complimenting the work of the Minister for Older people and acting as a conduit between our older citizens and all Government departments allowing for better care along with tapping into the resources that our older citizens have.

In conclusion, the RTÉ Investigates programme has shown the need for better oversight of the welfare of older people, coupled with an urgent demand for comprehensive legislative, regulatory, and systemic changes to ensure that such abuse and neglect are prevented and that older people in Ireland can live with the dignity and respect they deserve.

The following piece by our member Margaret Mac Guinness (Retired member of INMO) demonstrates the depth of feeling amongst our members.

Fallout from the RTE investigates programme

I was both angered and shocked at the content of the RTE Programme on the reports on two nursing homes one in Portlaoise and one in Glasnevin Dublin, both run by Emeis Ireland a French for profit organisation.  Where is HIQUA in the midst of all of this. 

It was noted that a Restriction order on Admissions to Portlaoise Nursing home imposed in February of this year was ignored and only became affective in late April.   The respect and dignity of these vulnerable people was totally compromised, HIQUA when interview after the programme stated that what was aired live on RTE was wholly un-acceptable and shocking, what is really shocking is for this oversight (committee) body to make a statement like this as it is their role is to ensure that situations like this and to this degree do not happen.

Here we have again a request for another review of all Nursing homes issued by the Minister of State for older persons and to what end?   We have been here before with Leas Cross.

What is needed is a Commissioner for Older Persons, COMPLETELY independent of government: with power to hold all institutions and government to account over their lack of ACCOUNTABILITY.  

RTE investigates have to be commended for their research and undercover operation, which highlighted the terrible staff shortage, lack of care and poor practice shown and given to the older people of our country.

Listening to a former General Secretary of the INMO Liam Doran being interviewed, his words stated “is this how we treat people who have served this country, worked for the country and shown fortitude throughout their lives and this is how we now treat them, Shame, Shame, Shame on all of us”

The highlighting through this programme of disgraceful lack of dignity, the resources available at the most basic level and inadequate staff numbers by Emeis whose only interest was in profiting from the vulnerable older person has to be a wakeup call for everyone in this country to the realisation that unless care policies are underpinned by legislation there will definitely be repeated instances.

Finally, the Minister states that HIQA told him when questioned “that they have adequate resources and sufficient statutory powers at their disposal” if this is correct how come they were not implemented.    “I rest my case”