Labour MP redeployed to St Vincent de Paul residence on official work

Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis will be setting up shop at the St Vincent de Paul state home for the elderly, as the government prepares to commission an audit that will lead to a protocol on the residence's admissions.

Agius Decelis, a nurse by profession, was accompanying social policy minister Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca during a visit at SVPR, which accommodates 1,200 residents, where she pointed out that some elderly residents had been placed in the wrong wards and were now not receiving the adequate care they required.

The audit will include a redeployment of workers, based on their skills. The audit will be carried out by an independent company, which still has to be selected. It will include consultation with all stakeholders, including the workers at SVPR, elderly and their relatives. "We want all stakeholders to participate with workers expressing their opinion on what is needed," she said.

Agius Decelis will be retaining his salary as MP and as a nurse, but instead he will be seconded to his SVPR office to implement the government's policy for the elderly. "He is highly qualified for the job and he will represent the ministry at SVPR. He will also retain his current job."

Government has also appointed Gozo ophthalmologist and MP Franco Mercieca as parliamentary secretary for the elderly.

"The elderly are at the heart of government's policy, as witnessed by the appointment of Franco Mercieca as parliamentary secretary. We want the elderly to receive the best care and value for the money which they and the taxpayers pay," she said.

Elderly residing at SVPR pay 80% of their pensions for their stay, while elderly residing in public-private-partnership homes pay 60%. The minister said that the elderly and their relatives must feel that their money is being well spent.

"From what we have seen so far, an audit is needed because of the high expenses that are coupled with practices which we don't like," Coleiro Preca said, adding that recommendations of an Auditor General's report in 2005 had not yet been implemented.

Taking one trivial issue as an example, Coleiro Preca said she was shocked to see that the Easter figolli she herself distributed to residents last Sunday, "had no wrapping and were high in sugar".

Parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca also revealed that the ministry had found an €11 million debt accumulated over the years. The budget for the elderly is around €50 million.