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Irish Examiner
17-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Family told to remove loved one from Cork nursing home after raising concerns over care
The family of a 67-year-old woman with a rare disease living in a Cork nursing home have been told to remove her because of their 'troubling' conduct after they raised serious concerns about her care. Riverstick Care Centre imposed a one-month deadline for the removal of the resident, but the Murphy family have desperately sought a new care home to no avail. The centre is part of the Silverstream nursing home chain, owned by Dutch equity firm Waterland. Carolann Murphy developed a rare but devastating neurological condition called corticobasal degeneration about 10 years ago. 'She cannot move any part of her body, she cannot speak, or communicate in any way, and has not been able to do so for many years,' her son Andrew said. 'She has also been peg-fed for around five years now.' Her husband, Fergus, cared for Carolann until she developed pneumonia in mid-2023. After treatment at Cork University Hospital, she was transferred to Riverstick. 'In May 2024 my mother was found with a broken arm by a member of staff,' Andrew said. 'There was then a long delay in getting an X-ray.' It is understood the scan was given by a mobile X-ray unit. They sought answers from the nursing home and asked An Garda Síochána to visit the home. The incident is under review by the ombudsman, but the nursing home wrote to the family on June 20, 2025, in a letter seen by the Irish Examiner. Carolann has twice been taken to CUH. This is acknowledged by Silverstream in that same letter. The private monthly fees come to €7,000 and the family bring in prescribed food. Andrew said: 'After our repeated questioning, on a day-to-day basis life is being made very difficult by some nursing home staff for my father who spends most of his day by his wife's side.' His wife Jennifer added: 'This is about a real person with real care needs." Then on June 24 Silverstream wrote, saying: 'We cannot allow your conduct to be continued in the home as it is troubling other residents and staff and is impacting the provision of care services to other residents in the home. 'I am formally providing 30 days' notice for you to arrange alternative accommodation, i.e. by Thursday, 24th July 2025.' The Murphys have now approached around 10 nursing homes. Andrew's sisters Ciara and Jean are also supporting his father. 'We have explored all avenues and I'm utterly shocked that no one has been able to help,' Andrew said. I feel very let down not just by the mismanagement of the nursing home but also by the numerous State agencies who have failed to help. Advocacy group Care Champions are not familiar with this case, but have seen these notices given by other nursing homes. "It is unacceptable that families in some private care facilities can face a 28-day discharge notices as a result of raising legitimate concerns or have questions about their loved one's care," Majella Beattie said. Silverstream said they cannot comment on individual situations, but added: "However, we can confirm that a family of a resident has made allegations of a nature similar to those set out. Those allegations have been fully investigated internally and independently via a third party. "We fully stand behind the quality of care provided by our dedicated team, as well as the fairness and robustness of our handling procedures; and remain confident in the integrity of both our internal processes and external governance systems.' They are committed to 'the highest standards of care', the statement continued. 'This is driven by the dedication and professionalism of our exceptional team, whose work is consistently reflected in our positive Hiqa outcomes,' it added. 'In the rare and exceptional circumstances where a decision is made to ask a resident to leave, it is never taken lightly. "We fully recognise our moral and legal responsibility to continue supporting that resident until a suitable alternative home is identified — one that fully meets their individual needs and circumstances.' Hiqa said the centre was inspected in May and a report will shortly be published. The ombudsman's office said while most reviews take three months, reviews of nursing home care are often more complex. A spokeswoman for the HSE Southwest said: 'HSE South West has no input into or oversight over a private nursing home's day to day operations. "If a private nursing home terminates a resident's contract, the HSE may be able to assist in sourcing alternative accommodation under the Fair Deal scheme. "All public and private nursing homes are required to have an accessible and effective complaints procedure, including an appeals process and to ensure there is access to independent advocacy services under the Health Act 2007."
Irish Examiner
12-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Family told to remove loved one from Cork nursing home after raising concerns about her care
The family of a 67-year-old woman with a rare disease living in a Cork nursing home have been told to remove her because of their 'troubling' conduct after they raised serious concerns about her care. Riverstick Care Centre imposed a one-month deadline for the removal of the resident, but the Murphy family have desperately sought a new care home to no avail. The centre is part of the Silverstream nursing home chain, owned by Dutch equity firm Waterland. Carolann Murphy developed a rare but devastating neurological condition called corticobasal degeneration about 10 years ago. 'She cannot move any part of her body, she cannot speak, or communicate in any way, and has not been able to do so for many years,' her son Andrew said. 'She has also been peg-fed for around five years now.' Her husband, Fergus, cared for Carolann until she developed pneumonia in mid-2023. After treatment at Cork University Hospital, she was transferred to Riverstick. 'In May 2024 my mother was found with a broken arm by a member of staff,' Andrew said. 'There was then a long delay in getting an X-ray.' It is understood the scan was given by a mobile X-ray unit. They sought answers from the nursing home and asked An Garda Síochána to visit the home. The incident is under review by the ombudsman, but the nursing home wrote to the family on June 20, 2025, in a letter seen by the Irish Examiner. Carolann has twice been taken to CUH. This is acknowledged by Silverstream in that same letter. The private monthly fees come to €7,000 and the family bring in prescribed food. Andrew said: 'After our repeated questioning, on a day-to-day basis life is being made very difficult by some nursing home staff for my father who spends most of his day by his wife's side.' His wife Jennifer added: 'This is about a real person with real care needs." Then on June 24 Silverstream wrote, saying: 'We cannot allow your conduct to be continued in the home as it is troubling other residents and staff and is impacting the provision of care services to other residents in the home. 'I am formally providing 30 days' notice for you to arrange alternative accommodation, i.e. by Thursday, 24th July 2025.' The Murphys have now approached around 10 nursing homes. Andrew's sisters Ciara and Jean are also supporting his father. 'We have explored all avenues and I'm utterly shocked that no one has been able to help,' Andrew said. I feel very let down not just by the mismanagement of the nursing home but also by the numerous State agencies who have failed to help. Advocacy group Care Champions are not familiar with this case, but have seen these notices given by other nursing homes. "It is unacceptable that families in some private care facilities can face a 28-day discharge notices as a result of raising legitimate concerns or have questions about their loved one's care," Majella Beattie said. Silverstream said they cannot comment on individual situations, but added: "However, we can confirm that a family of a resident has made allegations of a nature similar to those set out. Those allegations have been fully investigated internally and independently via a third party. "We fully stand behind the quality of care provided by our dedicated team, as well as the fairness and robustness of our handling procedures; and remain confident in the integrity of both our internal processes and external governance systems.' They are committed to 'the highest standards of care', the statement continued. 'This is driven by the dedication and professionalism of our exceptional team, whose work is consistently reflected in our positive Hiqa outcomes,' it added. 'In the rare and exceptional circumstances where a decision is made to ask a resident to leave, it is never taken lightly. "We fully recognise our moral and legal responsibility to continue supporting that resident until a suitable alternative home is identified — one that fully meets their individual needs and circumstances.' Hiqa said the centre was inspected in May and a report will shortly be published. The ombudsman's office said while most reviews take three months, reviews of nursing home care are often more complex. A spokeswoman for the HSE Southwest said: 'HSE South West has no input into or oversight over a private nursing home's day to day operations. "If a private nursing home terminates a resident's contract, the HSE may be able to assist in sourcing alternative accommodation under the Fair Deal scheme. "All public and private nursing homes are required to have an accessible and effective complaints procedure, including an appeals process and to ensure there is access to independent advocacy services under the Health Act 2007."
RTÉ News
30-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Waterland Ireland to invest €150m in Irish businesses
Private equity firm Waterland Ireland plans to invest up to €150m in Irish firms over the next 12 to 18 months. Since launching its Irish arm in 2019, the firm has invested in 30 businesses here. That includes Co Westmeath-based Writech, Co Louth wholesaler Bellew Electrical and care home group Silver Stream. It says the Irish firms it has invested in now have combined revenues of €600m - up 71% over the past 18 months. Meanwhile they employ 3,500 people - up 75% over the past year and a half. "We plan to invest this in new Irish companies; family-run businesses, where they're looking to ambitiously scale across Europe, and we'll support them in that," said Laura Dillon, partner at Waterland Ireland. Waterland takes what it calls a 'buy and build' strategy, where it seeks out further investments and acquisitions can compliment the companies it has partnered with. Ms Dillon said this is the strategy it would continue to deploy in the coming months. "We look for great Irish businesses that have the ambition to grow further - and normally grow throughout Europe, and potentially even further beyond," she said. "What we call a platform business, making more than €5m of profit in a growing market where it's in a fragmented market, and there's consolidation to be done - and we'll really support that through a buy and build." She said there is a significant amount of positivity within the Irish market at the moment, and huge potential for growth. That is evidenced by the rise in revenues some of its companies have enjoyed. "Irish companies continue to grow," Ms Dillon said. "MTM Engineering - a great example of Irish engineering companies - has grown from €37m in revenue two and a half years ago to, this year, we'll probably do €200m of revenue. "Equally Writech, when we partnered with them three and a half years ago, they were doing €20m of revenue - this year they'll do about €140m of revenue. "There really is a lot of growth out there and it's about finding those companies that have that ambition to grow throughout Europe." The uncertainty created by the threat of a tariff war, as well as the impact that may have on growth, has clouded the investment scene in Europe recently. Ms Dillon said this is representing a challenge for Waterland - but it may also help to create new opportunities. "There's definitely uncertainty out there and businesses like pharma or food and beverage exporting to the US, it's a pretty uncertain time at the moment," she said. "But times of uncertainty create opportunity and we see that a lot of Irish entrepreneurs can find those opportunities. "There are now companies looking to expand... we're supporting some of our companies to expand into Benelux, Germany and France where there are good opportunities."
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Insurers and businesses call for injury guidelines reform
Insurers, business lobby groups and the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB) have called for an overhaul of how personal injury awards guidelines are set, amid concern that a planned 16.7 per cent hike to payouts will widen the gap with other European jurisdictions when it comes to whiplashes and other minor injuries. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan's officials are working on draft legislation that would bring about the increase, which has been put forward by the Judicial Council under an awards guidelines regime that came into being four years ago. Joe Brennan has the details. Smokers pay tens of thousands of euro more for life insurance and mortgage protection than non-smokers, according to new research from price comparison and switching website For mortgage protection – a legal requirement for anyone taking out a mortgage in Ireland – a 38-year-old couple can pay as little as €35.60 a month for €300,000 in cover over 30 years as long as they're both non-smokers. Conor Pope reports READ MORE Dutch private equity group Waterland is to invest a further €150 million here over the next year and a half as it looks to add to its growing portfolio of Irish companies. At a time when the wider industry is reportedly pulling back on new investments and fundraises, the group's Irish arm signalled on Friday that it plans to 'dramatically' ramp up its expansion plans in the Republic, writes Ian Curran. Ford Chief Lisa Brankin on accelerating the switch to EVs Listen | 41:35 More than two-thirds of job applications are rejected by employers because they lack the relevant skills for the role, new research has found , with others binned because applications are badly formatted or due to unexplained gaps in employment. The survey, which was carried out for hiring platform IrishJobs, found that 78 per cent of employers are dissatisfied with the quality of job applications received, making it slower and more resource-intensive for employers. Ciara O'Brien reports. Average Irish mortgage approval values rose to a record of more than €319,000 in April, new figures from the banking industry reveal, as house prices continued to climb, requiring property owners to take on higher levels of debt, reports Ian Curran. At 7.55am most weekday mornings, about 60 staff at the Seating Matters' manufacturing facility in Limavady, Co Derry meet for 45 minutes with the family owners and management. The factory makes therapeutic seating for people with disabilities. It's part training session to sharpen skills and knowledge, and partly a platform for both sides to air any issues from the previous day and is practice imported from Japanese business culture, Martin Tierney, managing director of Seating Matters tells Ciarán Hancock . He is one of 140 Irish business leaders in Japan this week as part of a CEO retreat organised by the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) programme. For the last two months European businesses have been facing 10 per cent tariffs, which are import taxes, when selling goods into the US. Cars and steel products sold from the EU to the US have been subject to 25 per cent levies. The threat of across-the-board tariffs of 20 per cent, or even 50 per cent, if negotiations failed, has caused growing alarm across European industries. Jack Power brings us inside a crucial week in the trade talks between the European Union and the US A key lesson from the miserable economic performance of the 1980s is that it is vital to act quickly when in a fiscal crisis. Spreading the adjustment out over the course of a decade made things worse rather than easier, argues John FitzGerald in his weekly column . In the financial crisis that began in 2008-09, this lesson was learned. The really painful adjustment was completed between 2010 and 2013, resulting in a rapid and sustained recovery from 2014. While many at the time argued for a slower adjustment, it is likely that would only have prolonged the agony, as in the 1980s. The Linwoods brand was for most of its history best known as a bread and milk producer and wholesaler but, amid changing economic fortunes and increased competition from multinationals, the family-owned company began to struggle. 'My father always says 'evolve or die',' managing director Patrick Woods told Hugh Dooley in our interview slot . Linwoods has since evolved into one of the largest health food companies in Ireland, with distribution links with big retailers across the UK. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.
Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Waterland to invest €150m in Irish market over 18 months
Dutch private equity group Waterland is to invest a further €150 million here over the next year and a half as it looks to add to its growing portfolio of Irish companies. At a time when the wider industry is reportedly pulling back on new investments and fundraises, the group's Irish arm signalled on Friday that it plans to 'dramatically' ramp up its expansion plans in the Republic. Waterland Ireland, which said it now has combined revenues of €600 million across its Irish portfolio, will invest an additional €150 million in new platform companies as well as add-on acquisitions for existing portfolio companies. The €150 million is understood to come from existing funds that have already been raised. READ MORE Waterland Ireland has invested in five so-called platform companies here since 2019, including Meath-based data centre cable specialist MTM Engineering, NetZero Group – formed through the Waterland-backed merger of two green heating and plumbing companies in 2023 – and the Silver Stream Healthcare nursing home group. The group, which focuses largely on mid-sized companies, has then added smaller, complementary businesses to those platforms through acquisition. Most recently, the competition watchdog cleared Waterland's bid to buy Hometherm Insulation Ltd in Kells, Co Meath, in March. If the deal goes ahead, it would position Waterland to benefit from accelerated State spending to retrofit 500,000 homes with insulation, heat pumps and other equipment by 2030 to hit climate action targets. 'We see immense potential in the Irish market and are dedicated to supporting companies with strong growth ambitions,' said Laura Dillon, partner at Waterland Ireland . 'This commitment reinforces our belief in the strength and innovation of Irish businesses. We are excited to partner with entrepreneurs and management teams to help them scale and achieve their international growth aspirations.' The announcement comes against a backdrop of slower deal-making and fundraising across the private equity industry. The Financial Times reported in April that US president Donald Trump's tariffs are forcing private equity groups to pause their deal-making and focus on managing their existing portfolio companies, in a stark reversal of earlier expectations for a boom in activity under the new administration.
