The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) will be given additional powers to investigate serious patient safety incidents in public nursing homes.
Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Older People Kieran O'Donnell will bring the new proposals to Government next month.
It is understood Mr O’Donnell will seek Government approval to amend the Patient Safety Act.
This would extend HIQA’s powers to allow the agency to carry out or commission an independent review of a defined type of serious patient safety incident, where some or all of the care of a patient was carried out in a nursing home.
Mr O’Donnell has been pursuing a number of changes in this area, including legislation for statutory home care.
It follows an RTÉ Investigates programme last June, which uncovered multiple examples of care failings and neglect of vulnerable older residents at two nursing homes.
The new proposals will be brought before Government next month and are expected to be fast-tracked through the Oireachtas.
