Shock and fury as Glasnevin care home exposed in RTÉ documentary 

Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin remains at the centre of a national scandal following disturbing revelations broadcast last week in RTÉ Investigates – Inside Ireland’s Nursing Homes. 

The local care home, run by Emeis Ireland (formerly Orpea), was secretly filmed by undercover reporters posing as staff, who captured shocking scenes of neglect, mistreatment and disregard for the dignity of elderly residents. The documentary, broadcast last Wednesday night, has provoked outrage across the community and led to urgent calls for action. 

The footage also revealed shocking scenes in The Residence in Portlaoise as well as Beneavin Manor. 

At times, staffing was so inadequate that just one worker was responsible for as many as 23 residents. 

Some vulnerable residents were denied help to use the toilet. 

Others were left unattended for hours, endured unsafe handling practices, or were denied even the simplest dignities, like going for a walk. 

The reaction has been swift and damning. 

Dublin North West TD Paul McAuliffe has demanded immediate intervention at Beneavin Manor, calling the footage “alarming” and “heartbreaking.” 

Speaking on Thursday, McAuliffe said he had requested a briefing from HIQA and urged the Oireachtas Health Committee to convene on the matter urgently. 

“There are significant amounts of public money going into Beneavin Manor,” McAuliffe said. 

“The issues raised last night just shouldn’t happen. Many families will have recognised loved ones in the programme – they are angry, and they deserve answers.” 

He questioned why admissions continued at Beneavin Manor even after concerns were flagged to regulators, and emphasised that HIQA must now offer immediate reassurance to residents and their families. 

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) described the revelations as “appalling,” noting the distressing treatment of residents living with dementia. The ASI said the footage showed a “blatant disregard for dignity,” revealing not just a lack of resources but a worrying cultural failure in how care is delivered. 

“There was a clear lack of understanding, compassion and empathy,” said ASI CEO Andy Heffernan. “A human rights-based approach to care is urgently needed. Dementia-specific training and education must become standard to create a dementia-inclusive environment.” 

The ASI also pointed to long-standing recommendations that have gone unheeded.

A key briefing paper, Adult Safeguarding and People with Dementia in Nursing Homes, commissioned in 2022, remains as relevant as ever.

Authored by Dr Sarah Donnelly of UCD, the paper argues for safeguarding legislation and care grounded in the FREDA principles – Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity, and Autonomy. 

Dr Donnelly, speaking after the broadcast, said the abuse exposed by RTÉ indicates a deeply entrenched resistance to reform.

“The State must protect the lives and well-being of the most vulnerable. These nursing homes should be places where residents feel safe, secure and cared for.” 

The Irish Dementia Working Group (IDWG) echoed the calls for urgent change. Chair Kevin Quaid said he was “appalled” by the footage.

“It was deeply distressing. My fear of perhaps having to enter residential care myself in the future has now been heightened.” 

He added: “It’s time we finally upheld the rights of nursing home residents – rights to fairness, dignity and autonomy. The recommendations we made in 2020 have never been more urgent.” 

ALONE, the organisation supporting older people to age at home, also condemned the scenes shown in the documentary. CEO Seán Moynihan said the country must move beyond outrage and finally act on long-known deficiencies in the system. 

“The Leas Cross scandal was twenty years ago,” Moynihan said. “Shock and anger are not enough anymore. This must be the wake-up call that leads to real reform.” 

Moynihan pointed to the unfinished business of the 2020 COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel, whose 86 recommendations, including frameworks for safe staffing and skill mix, have yet to be fully implemented.

Despite the fact that many nursing homes are owned by large multinational corporations, minimum standards around staffing and care are still not guaranteed. 

ALONE believes the crisis is compounded by Ireland’s over-reliance on institutional care, driven in part by a lack of housing options for older people. The organisation advocates for a “Housing with Support” model, which it has piloted in Inchicore, Dublin 8.

Moynihan said such alternatives must be part of the solution: “We need to provide older people with the option to live independently for longer within their communities.” 

The RTÉ documentary has cast a harsh light on the for-profit care model and raised serious doubts about accountability within the private sector.

As families across the country grapple with shock and grief, politicians, regulators and care organisations alike are united in one demand: never again. 

The spotlight is now firmly on the government and HIQA.

Public trust in the system has been shaken.

For many families, the trauma is immediate and personal.

But as the details of neglect and mistreatment continue to emerge, one thing is clear: this is not just a story of individual failings, it’s a national scandal demanding a national reckoning.