RTÉ ordered to hand over unedited footage from nursing home documentary

RTÉ HAS BEEN ordered by a High Court judge to hand over the complete unedited footage recorded by two undercover researchers in two nursing homes to the chief inspector of state body and nursing home regulator Hiqa.

The footage is that recorded for the 2025 investigative programme Inside Ireland’s Nursing Homes, which sees the researchers take up posts in two different nursing homes owned by the company Emeis, formerly known as Orpea.

The nursing homes were the Residence Portlaoise, which houses up to 101 residents, and Beneavin Manor, a home in Glasnevin, which cares for up to 115 adults.

Ms Justice Egan noted in her judgment today that the footage appeared to reveal staff practices that RTÉ interpreted as “demonstrating prolonged and systemic failures of care”.

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The aired footage had the identities of staff and residents anonymised.

Before broadcast, RTÉ provided Hiqa with “immediate and detailed reports of its findings”, as well as notifying gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

The chief inspector of Hiqa requested that RTÉ provide the complete and unedited footage, which RTÉ maintained could only be released pursuant to a court order. The state broadcaster argued that it had concerns regarding GDPR.

The judge noted that the Hiqa representative “considers the practices depicted in the programme to be wholly unacceptable and to raise serious concerns regarding the safety and welfare of residents”.

The judge ruled that it was appropriate for the footage to be provided to Hiqa so that any other alleged wrongdoing could be uncovered, and the full extent of what was recorded can be reviewed by the body.

RTÉ previously handed the footage over to gardaí, also on foot of a court order.

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