Ombudsman to address Petitions Committee on Nursing Home sector complaints

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Vice-Chair, Senator Colette Kelleher, said today, “One of the strategic objectives of the Ombudsman’s Office is to drive improvements in the wider public sector, through external engagement. The number of complaints to the Office about the nursing home sector has increased in recent years and the Ombudsman has prepared a special edition of the casebook which addresses some of the issues raised with his Office in relation to the nursing home sector and the Nursing Home Support Scheme. The Committee will be keen to discuss the issues around contracts of care and security of tenure for nursing home residents, as well as the additional charges that some nursing home residents are expected to pay, despite the fact that 80% of a resident’s income has already been paid over as part of the nursing home support scheme.”

The Committee will also consider petitions on:

• Guardianship rights for un-married fathers;

• A decision of the Minister for Justice on the determination of the level of disablement in an individual case under the Garda Pensions Order 1925.

The meeting will start at 3.30pm in Committee Room 1, Leinster House.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here