A 'Prime Time Investigates' special report on the state of nursing home care prompted a national debate on how the elderly were being looked after in some nursing homes. Using a hidden camera, reporter Cathal Gallagher, a qualified care worker, filmed shocking conditions and work practices in the Leas Cross nursing home at Swords, Dublin.

Shown here is the introduction to the 'Home Truths' programme presented by Adrian Lydon.

Just two hours before this edition of 'Prime Time Investigates' was broadcast, the operators of the nursing home lost a last minute High Court bid to prevent the screening of the programme. 'Prime Time Investigates - Home Truths' won the best current affairs programme at the Irish Film and Television Awards for 2005.

'Prime Time' is RTÉ's main current affairs series and was first broadcast in 1998 and continues today.

Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Libraries and Archives.

If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us.

RTÉ Libraries and Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us.