Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry. I do not want to cut off Dr. O'Brien, but there are other speakers. On the specific question of the completion of assessments, it was stated some time ago that these assessments were all done. It was reported in a statement that these assessments took place over the last several weeks and that individual care plans had been put in place, etc. However, I am now being told that these assessments have been ongoing for years.

The assessment that we are talking about is the assessment of people to see if they are going to be put in an appropriate place, if they are happy to be moved out of their home and if they are going to be happy. The HSE has failed to invest in the building over the years and now the patients in the building are, basically, going to be evicted from their home because of the inadequacy of funding. The situation comes down to that. I am sorry for cutting across Dr. O’Brien.

My other point concerns Mr. Fitzgerald referring to building and independent living in that context. We have a housing crisis, but he might not have noticed. Where will the resources come from to supply independent living opportunities? I am sorry for cutting across Dr. O'Brien, but the main point here is that these services are working. There should be an onus on the HSE to provide these services. They are not a luxury for the people concerned, but a necessity. The HSE is failing them and all I am being given here are excuses.