Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Very briefly - I made reference to it earlier - my concern is that we are not providing expansion and new builds in terms of the public long-term residential care network. There are real concerns at a number of sites around the country that, as the Minister acknowledged in earlier commentary, because of the age profile of many of the buildings in use, which were not purpose-built for their current usage, significant works are required. HIQA reports are valid and are reflective of the fact that these buildings are not of the standard required today and that they need to be significantly enhanced or replaced.

I was due to meet with representatives of St. Patrick's Community Hospital in Carrick-on-Shannon yesterday evening, although the floods, unfortunately, made that unachievable. That is just one example of a community that has a huge dependence on such a facility. It is dependent on it not only for the critical function of providing nursing home and long-term care needs for people within the community - some 85 people in that reduced-capacity building - but also a whole range of ancillary services provided there, extending from Sligo Regional Hospital, which are very important to the dependent catchment area. What can the Minister tell us about a capital plan that will give some hope and comfort to people in that community, for example, which is not in my own constituency, that they are not facing further downgrading and contraction and can look forward to a replacement construction on the site of the existing facility or utilising the wider campus area to provide a much-needed new facility?