Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Over a number of sessions, I have been trying to understand the interaction between the HSE, the Department and, to be honest, also the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Office of Public Works, OPW. We had the OPW here not so long ago and we were asking about some issues around funding decisions. I am aware, obviously, that officials from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform are not here. They will be here next week and I will put some of these questions to them. I am trying to understand oversight in regard to spending decisions. I will stick with that particular CHO because we are kind of well versed and in the discussions that we have had previously at the Committee of Public Accounts, this CHO is just an example of what is happening in CHOs around the country.

We have established that there has been decision-making of which I am not a fan on the provision of long-stay beds for people who have enduring mental health difficulties. They would certainly be under the banner of the UNCRPD as people experiencing a disability. They are entitled to receive regional and local-based care. I want to stick on the funding issue.

I mentioned Garnish House in a previous interaction. Some residents from Owenacurra had been moved to Garnish House. I want to ask a couple of questions not of the HSE but of the Department. Between cleaning and rental, Garnish House costs €43,0000 per month. Garnish House was valued in July 2020 at €1.6 million. In the three years we have paid rent to and kept Garnish House, we have paid approximately €1.6 million. How does the Department run a cost-benefit analysis on that front? What are its reporting requirements to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform? I have a couple more questions to ask and a limited time in which to do so.