Health Committee to focus on treatment of residents in residential care settings – Buttimer

Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central and Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer has confirmed that senior HSE officials will appear before the Committee to discuss the treatment of people with intellectually disabilities in care centres.   At its meeting on Tuesday 16^th December, the Oireachtas Health and Children Committee will question the HSE on issues arising from the recent (December 9^th 2014) RTÉ Investigations Unit broadcast, “Inside Bungalow 3”, and the treatment of people with Intellectually Disabled people.

“Over the last week the treatment of people with intellectual disabilities living in care centres has been brought into sharp focus.   People across the country were shocked by the RTÉ Investigations Unit report.   It brought to the attention of the public instances of abuse that were truly shocking and upsetting.

“At the Committee meeting on Tuesday I will be asking for an explanation from the HSE on how it oversees and monitors care settings.   This will be an initial first step by the committee, in the New Year we will hold further hearings on intellectual disability, congregated settings and care home settings.   We need to know what changes will be made so that the required standard of care can be ensured.   Steps must immediately be taken to restore the trust of people in care, their families and wider society in the services that are being provided in residential care settings.

“As well as dealing with the main issue of the standard of care, we must also look at reporting and complaints mechanisms.   Where staff, residents, families and other visitors have concerns about what is happening in care settings there must be an easy route for having these concerns addressed.   I welcome the Ombudsman’s statement that he is available to deal with individual complaints, but we need to examine best practice to ensure that the overall complaints mechanism is accessible and user friendly.

“All people living here have rights and their dignity must be respected. When somebody lives in a care setting these same rights also apply and any compromise on this is a gross betrayal of trust.   People living in care centres are often vulnerable and they rely upon the support of those working there, society expects the highest standards of care and when it falls below these standards we all have a duty to step in to help protect victims of abuse.”