Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Can I take it that the HSE is considering St. Stephen's Hospital and, possibly, St. Catherine's centre as well? If it is the case that the HSE is considering all of the needs of all of the patients, I put it to the HSE and to the clinical director that taking people out of the Owenacurra single room setting on the basis that room sizes are too small, as identified in the Mental Health Commission report, and putting them into a ward setting is a Dickensian and backward step and is not in the interests of the residents. I hope the HSE is not considering that as an option. I am no therapist or clinician, but I know from talking to the families that from a therapeutic point of view, that would be a very poor step. I ask Mr. Fitzgerald to respond. If he can tell me that the HSE is not considering St. Stephen's Hospital as an option, a lot of people will be very relieved.