Minister for Elderly says Portlaoise nursing home breached ban on admissions

Elderly people were admitted to The Residence nursing home after the health service regulator ordered a halt to admissions, according to the Minister with responsibility for older people.

Minister Kieran O'Donnell has also revealed that the HSE has intervened in the Portlaoise facility while HIQA inspectors are onsite in Laois investigating the shortcomings at the home.

Speaking on Prime Time, the Minister of State at the Department of Health said he wanted to see "urgent action". He said met with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to ascertain what response is happening at the nursing homes run by Emeis Ireland that were at the centre of the RTÉ Investigative exposé.

"I can confirm that HIQA is in both nursing homes, carrying out inspections. The HSE has put safeguarding teams in place and furthermore put two directors of community nursing in place," he said.

HIQA has confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that The Residence Portlaoise was advised in February that it would have to stop admissions. Formal notification to do so was issued in March, and the ban came into effect on 22 April.

RTÉ subsequently revealed that the patients were admitted after that date. Minister O'Donnell said he had followed the matter up with the regulator.

"HIQA became aware of it that they (The Residence) had breached the restriction over a number of days," he said.

As to whether Emeis Ireland would be sanctioned for doing so, Mr O'Donnell said he wanted HIQA to use "its maximum powers".

Emeis has issued a statement of apology over what was highlighted at The Residence Portlaoise and the Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin in north Dublin. It has yet to comment on the alleged breach of the ban on admissions after April 22.

He said he had asked HIQA to report back to him within two weeks on this and other issues.

He stopped short of agreeing the HIQA had "failed the residents" but said "they moved too slowly". 

READ ALSO: Admissions stopped to The Residence

It also emerged on Prime Time that the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which regulates workplaces, is now involved. The HSA has had to be called in to both nursing homes because the use of hoists and other equipment by staff is not regulated by HIQA. The HSE confirmed to RTÉ Investigates that they will conduct inspections.

The Minister has also asked HIQA to review operations at all Emeis Ireland nursing homes in Ireland. One of these is the Kilminchy Lodge in Portlaoise.

The Residence opened in 2023 and has a capacity for 101 patients. HIQA has carried out four inspections since it opened, finding problems on all visits.

Emeis Ireland is the biggest provider of nursing home care in Ireland. It is owned by the French company Emeis which was formerly called Orpea. The company rebranded after a tumultuous period caused by controversy over alleged mistreatment of residents at its facilities in France.

That was caused by a book written by Victor Castanet called The Gravediggers which details hundreds of testimonies and evidence of alleged negligence at Orpea care facilites.