I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for offences committed against adults whose ability to guard themselves against violence, exploitation or abuse, whether physical, sexual or emotional, or against neglect by another person is significantly impaired; and to provide for related matters.
We have all heard the horror stories - Áras Attracta, Lees Cross, the treatment of Grace, failures in home care and care homes, and the indefensible failures in the Brandon case. A simple question is always asked: who is held accountable? Time and again devastating failures have been exposed in care facilities, at home and across society. They have been exposed not by the Government or at times by people in the HSE but by families, social workers, regulator, the media and whistleblowers, and yet the Government has failed to put proper adult safeguarding laws in place.
Families, social workers, advocates and Opposition TDs have been calling for a comprehensive adult safeguarding law for years. This Bill is a first step. The Bill was drafted by the Law Reform Commission following extensive and deep engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The Bill would create stand-alone criminal offences for those who abuse, neglect, coerce or exploit adults. Similar protections were introduced for children more than ten years ago. In my view, they have worked. This legislation would protect older people, people in care facilities, people with disabilities and adults at risk in their own homes and communities - our friends, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, cousins, colleagues and loved ones. The Bill would ensure perpetrators, those who cover up abuse and those who cut budgets or impose policies without regard for the consequences can face real criminal consequences. There is an urgent need for the Oireachtas to act against adult abuse, neglect, coercion and exploitation. This is about protecting people and accountability.
I ask the Ministers for Health and justice to engage with us and the experts on this Bill before Second Stage. My office will be in touch with their respective offices. I hope they will engage in a constructive manner and see if we can get the Bill supported and implemented. People at risk of harm cannot be left waiting any longer for legal protection. Every time there is one of these scandals, we end up having statements in this House. Sometimes there are crocodile tears and we all say this should never have happened, but it has happened again. We do not have the legislative framework to ensure that at an organisational level, people can be held to account whether in nursing homes or disability centres. For far too long, unfortunately, I have been raising these issues. It all comes back to the same failures. If the law does not exist, the protections are not in place. While these failures obviously rest with abusers or those responsible for neglect, there is also a responsibility on the State if we do not have the proper legal architecture. That is why we are introducing this Bill.
