An interim report from the Health Information and Quality Authority into the two nursing homes featured in an RTÉ Investigates programme has revealed one of the residences had almost 200 notifications of allegations of abuse of patients since January 2022.
There were 198 notifications of an “allegation, suspected or confirmed of abuse to a resident” in the Firstcare Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin in north Dublin, according to the report.
There were 40 notifications of allegations of abuse at The Residence Portlaoise since December 2023.
The report said a high number of notifications “does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories”.
In the interim report published tonight, HIQA said the types of notifications of abuse, known as “NF06” notifications, are required “where there is a suspicion or allegation of abuse, which may or may not be substantiated, and can include a wide range of incidents such as residents’ altercations with other residents, the tone that someone is spoken to, through to more significant suspicions or allegations”.
Emeis Ireland requested to consider pausing admissions to all nursing homes
HIQA requested that Emeis Ireland, who runs the homes, “consider pausing admissions” to all of the 25 nursing homes operated by the group, as the initial findings from recent inspections “speak to [a] system under significant strain”.
HIQA made the request at a meeting with Emeis Ireland on 13 June.
Emeis Ireland “were informed that in the event that a pause in admissions is not implemented the Chief Inspector may consider attaching a condition to the registration of each centre, as appropriate, to restrict admissions to each nursing home through our legal processes,” HIQA said in the report.
HIQA said that it is carrying out “an overview of the regulatory history of all 25 nursing homes within the Emeis Ireland group.” at the request of Minister of State with responsibility for Older People Kieran O’Donnell.
The Residence Portlaoise first opened in 2023
The report also found that Firstcare Beneavin Manor was 100% non-compliant on fire precauions.
Listing the four regulations with the highest level of non-compliance, it found the home was 66.7% non-compliant on governance and management, and 50% non-compliant with regulations on food and nutrition.
HIQA said it carried out a series of unannounced inspections of both nursing homes featured in the recent RTÉ Investigates programme following the broadcast on 4 June.
In relation to The Residence, Portlaoise, HIQA reported that 40 monitoring notifications of an allegation, suspected or confirmed abuse of a resident between 14 December 2023 and 6 June 2025.
The authority said: “A high number of notifications received from a service does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories.”
Read more: The questions HIQA needs to answer after nursing home exposé
The Residence Portlaoise was found to be 75% non-complliant on governance and management, and individual assessments and care plans.
It was 66.7% non-compliant on training and staff development.
‘Unannounced inspections’
In the interim report, HIQA said its staff visited The Residence Portlaoise and Firstcare Beneavin Manor on 5, 8 and 12 June “with inspectors undertaking unannounced inspections of both nursing homes in the evening and in the early hours of the morning, as well as during the day, to ascertain the service provided at all times of day and night”.
It said that, as it expected, the provider [Emeis Ireland] “had taken a range of measures to address the immediate risk to residents”.
It said inspectors found that “issues such as supplies and linen had been addressed”, but added that “while actions had been taken to improve staffing, further improvements to staffing and staff supervision were required”.
It said that senior staff from Emeis Ireland, who were also directors of each company operating the two nursing homes, were required to attend a formal meeting with HIQA’s chief inspector on 9 June to set out what actions they were taking and were issued with an official warning of cancellation of registration “should they fail to implement significant improvements in the care of residents”.
They were also required to set out “how they would be addressing the ineffective systems of oversight, management and supervision, and the staff culture issues in each nursing home which enabled staff members to treat their residents in such an inhumane manner”.