Mr. Eugene Magee:

I thank the Chairman. In March 2009, I was asked by the then Minister of State at the Department of Health if I would volunteer to accept the position of chairman of Leopardstown Park Hospital. The previous chairman, my predecessor, had to resign and there were approximately 20 months of his term to complete. With little knowledge of the institution, its history or its current status, I agreed to take on the job for the 20 months with the possibility of continuing for a further term if mutually desirable for the Department and myself. I was duly appointed chairman by the then Minister, Ms Mary Harney, who took an interest in the work of the hospital and with whom I had a number of meetings at which we discussed the issues facing the hospital and its patient body. At the end of the 20 months, the then Minister invited me to continue in post for a further five years, which terminated in September. By way of background, I was personally known to the former Minister of State, Mr. Barry Andrews, as a family friend and to the then Minister herself as a client in my office.

At this point, the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, wishes to appoint me for a second term which I am prepared to accept but under new protocol for such appointments, we are obliged to have today's meeting. I welcome that because it gives me an opportunity to enlighten this committee on elements of our work and the challenges around our hospital at this time of turbulence in the provision of Health Services.

During my six and half years as chairman we have had to live within a very tight budget. Every year since my appointment we have reported that we fulfilled our mandate within budget due to some continuing careful husbandry. We have had to provide complex services in all elements of older persons service provision, that is, inpatient, such as rehabilitation, respite and residential and day services, within the very strict moratorium on staff recruitment and we have had to deal with the arrival of HIQA and the standards rightly imposed on the quality of service. We are now grappling with a difficulty with a very significantly reduced budget and a notice to cease admission to some of our capacity due to the HIQA judgment that some of our beds do not meet the required standard.

In the same period, we have had a fundamental change in the composition of our board, three changes of chief executive officer, a new director of nursing and, by now, a total of seven resignations from the board and the appointment of four new members, all of whom have now been validly reappointed and await my reconfirmation after today's meeting.

The committee asked for what seems to me to be a curriculum vitae to establish my credentials to take on this position and, cryptically, I outlined my educational, corporate and management history. I will not go through that, if the Chairman does not mind. It indicates that I have had, I hesitate to say, a successful 50-year career in the travel sector, both nationally and internationally, and I have a degree in history, English and philosophy which I took in 1964 and a masters in law which I took in 2013, both at Maynooth - one under the old dispensation and the other under the new one of Maynooth University.

As to its history, Leopardstown Park Hospital was founded and opened for patients, as the Chairman rightly pointed out, in October 1917 on foot of the bequest of the house and lands at Leopardstown, by Ms Gertrude Frances Dunning to "cause and permit the buildings, together with the lands and premises to be equipped and furnished as a hospital sanatorium or home for the care and treatment of persons described as "Officers or men of His Majesty's Navy and Army" who had been disabled or invalided while serving or thereafter be retired".

Records show that several hundred men were hospitalised in Leopardstown Park Hospital after the war, with many of those who returned mortally wounded spending their final days there. From 1917 through to 1974, throughout the War of Independence, the formation of the State and the Second World War, the hospital continued in this way. At all times, the deed of trust under which the hospital was owned and the trustees still operate stated that, in the event of closure, the reversion of the house and lands would be to Ms Dunning and her heirs. In 1974, the trustees sought and were granted an amendment of the trust to allow for the treatment of widows and dependants of veterans.

The 1979 negotiations between our Government and Her Majesty's Government led to the transfer of the hospital to our Department of Health and to the Leopardstown Park Hospital Board under the Leopardstown Park Hospital Board (Establishment) Order 1979, a copy of which we included in the material that we provided to the committee. At that time, the board was set up to run and manage the hospital. The order states:

The functions of the Board are, on being permitted by the Trustees to use the hospital in accordance with the terms of such permission,(a) to conduct and manage the hospital;

(b) to provide such services and facilities at the hospital as may, from time to time, be approved by the Minister...

It also states: "The Board shall consist of nine members appointed by the Minister, two of whom shall be appointed on the nomination of the Secretary of State" for Social Services.

That was the situation when I was first appointed. In the past two years, it has changed by agreement between our Government and the UK Government, with the two nominated members being withdrawn and the UK Government giving up any reversionary interest in the trust should we cease to operate as a hospital. That reversionary interest was transferred from the heirs and family of the late Ms Dunning. Changes to our procedures following this negotiation - the reduction in the board number from nine to seven members and all other terms - were never communicated to me as chairman of the board. This leaves some anomalies that are probably of no great concern to the committee or its Chairman.

Our issues today are entirely in the realm of funding and the suitability of our facility in the judgment of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. Immediately, four "nightingale" wards, with a capacity of 67 beds, have been deemed unsuitable for the long-term care of the elderly and we have had to cease admissions of this category since September. We have a plan to which HIQA may give approval to refurbish these wards and allow 60 beds to be accessed on an interim basis while we move to replace the full 171 beds in the medium term. The estimated cost of this refurbishment is approximately €2.5 million. We are hopeful that this will be incorporated within the HSE capital plan that is soon to be published. If this funding is confirmed, we will submit the funded plan to HIQA for approval and seek the removal of the condition restricting long-term care admissions.

It is clear that the refurbishment will only provide an interim, limited solution to HIQA's concerns regarding the environment. There is a requirement to provide a new, modern and fully compliant facility for all of our beds in the medium term. Our registration with HIQA will once again be up for review in 2017 and we expect that there will be a requirement to have a funded plan for the full replacement of the existing facilities at that time. It is clear from this that, unless we can provide the above new facility, Leopardstown Park Hospital as we know it today will cease to function in the medium term. This would be a catastrophic loss to the local community, with the removal of 171 hospital beds for this growing segment of people who cannot care for themselves or be cared for in the community. The best estimate for the cost of such a new facility is €20 million, bearing in mind that we have the valuable site provided under our licence from the trustees. We are in negotiation with the HSE to ensure that our full replacement proposal is also part of the next capital plan and we have secured €2 million as a contribution to the cost of the new facility.

Maybe that is enough but, in light of our current circumstances, our future looks bleak. With the goodwill of the trust, which is important, and the availability of public funding, our good work at Leopardstown Park Hospital will be allowed to continue for another 100 years. We will continue to serve veterans of Her Majesty's forces - approximately 30 currently - as principal primary beneficiaries and we can continue providing a necessary element of health care to the ageing population of Dublin and south Leinster.

I would not like this occasion to pass without reference to our long tradition of care of the highest quality from our medical staff, nursing staff, health care assistants, physiotherapists interestingly, occupational therapists, dietician, speech therapist, social worker, pharmacists, pastoral care, catering, maintenance and other clerical and support staff who are critical to the running of the hospital, not forgetting the high-quality and dedicated management team that provides me with great support. They all enjoy the highest possible reputation and the warm respect and regard of the population at large and among our peers.