Minister for Health Mary Harney has confirmed that she intends to appoint a senior counsel to inquire into the transfer of large numbers of psychiatric patients to two private nursing homes in north Dublin about which there were serious concerns.
Ms Harney said last week that she hoped to be in a position to finalise the terms of reference "in the near future".
The Minister has told Louth Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd that she is considering the scope of an inquiry in relation to the transfer of psychiatric patients from St Ita's Hospital in Portrane to the Leas Cross nursing home in Swords and to Bedford House nursing home in Balbriggan in 2003, even though both homes had problems.
Mr O'Dowd recently highlighted in the Dáil the fact that inspection reports on Bedford House had been "appalling" for a number of years before the transfers and called on the Minister for an inquiry.
In the Dáil last month, Mr O'Dowd named the owner of Bedford House which he had described as "worse than Leas Cross". He read a report from 2004 into the home which he said was in a "most shameful and disgraceful condition".
The HSE confirmed in December that admissions to Bedford House had been suspended following inspections.