A TD HAS passed on a file of over 700 complaints about alleged abuse by care staff to gardaí.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week today, Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd said he had obtained the file through Freedom of Information legislation.

He said that he had asked HIQA for the information and had subsequently passed the details on to the gardaí. 27 of the complaints have been redacted, O’Dowd said.

He said that the complaints showed that HIQA needs stronger powers to investigate individual complaints. Currently, the authority has no power to investigate individual complaints.

O’Dowd said that he hopes to change that by tabling an amendment on Wednesday in the Dáil.

He said that the file will also be sent to the Medical Council and Nursing Board.

“The country wants us to act to go in and sort this problem out.

“The problem is staff are afraid to complain.”

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700 complaints about nursing and care home staff passed to gardaí

Read: ‘Elderly, disabled Aras Attracta resident was hit with a stick’

Read: Shocking Prime Time doc shows elderly, fragile women being hit, kicked and dragged across the floor

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.