The Commission of Investigation into Leas Cross Nursing Home is about to seek submissions from interested parties as it begins its investigation into the north Dublin home.
Leas Cross Nursing Home closed in July 2005 following an undercover Prime Time Investigates programme which raised concerns over the treatment of residents.
In April, Minister for Health Mary Harney commissioned an investigation into the management, operation and supervision of the home.
Diarmuid O'Donovan SC was appointed as sole member of the commission and asked to provide his report to the Minister within 12 months of starting work.
The commission began its work on September 10th and has launched a website www.lcnhi.ie explaining its work.
Under its terms of reference, it must provide an interim report in March before producing its final report by next September.
Mr O'Donovan told The Irish Times that advertisements would be placed in the national and local media "very shortly" inviting submissions from relevant parties.
"We are also in the process of writing to relevant parties seeking their co-operation with the investigation and requested relevant documentation and information from them," he said.
The commission's terms of reference are to examine the role and responses of parties such as the HSE in relation to the operation of Leas Cross. It must look at the response of the HSE and other bodies to complaints made by residents, former residents or their relatives. And the HSE's role in transferring residents from medical and residential care facilities to the nursing home will also be examined.
The commission has the power to direct witnesses to attend before it and to direct witnesses to produce certain documents.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) is currently working on the provision of new quality standards for nursing homes, following the Leas Cross controversy.
Some 100 submissions have been lodged with Hiqa in response to a request for views on draft standards for nursing homes.
