RTÉ is directed by the courts to provide covert footage used in an RTÉ Investigates programme about nursing homes to Ireland’s health regulator, HIQA. Multiple outlets report that the programme draws attention to alleged substandard standards of care at nursing homes, and that HIQA seeks access to the underlying material to inform its regulatory functions.
According to the Irish Times and other reports, HIQA applies for a court order compelling RTÉ to disclose the footage. RTÉ is reported not to consent to the order and does not object to it, while indicating constraints around releasing the full undercover material.
IrishExaminer.com reports that HIQA pursued a “Norwich Pharmacal” type order, a legal mechanism used to obtain documents held by a third party, to secure access to the covert footage. The reporting across sources indicates the court order is linked to HIQA’s request for the programme’s full undercover footage rather than selected excerpts.
Overall, the accounts agree that the case involves a court-directed disclosure of covert nursing home investigation footage from RTÉ to HIQA.
