A health board has told the High Court it wants a Dublin nursing home to be closed down because of serious concern over the welfare of its elderly residents.
The South Western Area Health Board says it wants to move all 23 residents out of Rostrevor House in Rathgar in the next week.
The court heard that recent inspections of the home in Rathgar led to the discovery that discontinued drugs are still being administered to patients, and that there were not enough nurses on duty with one nurse being rostered for a 72-hour week.
Fire safety precautions were also inadequate and an unlocked door had allowed patients to wander.
A barrister for the health board said the closure would come as an enormous shock to the residents, 11 of whom are dependent. But the board is arranging places in other homes and a helpline will be set up.
Mr Justice Vivian Lavin was told that a doctor had raised serious concerns about the home three years ago, and that there were prosecutions pending in the District Court.
The judge said he took a serious view of the case and granted permission to the health board to serve notice to the owner, Terese Lipsett, of the application next Thursday for the premises to be closed down.
