Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge nobody from HSE estates is present this morning but my question concerns Abbeyleix hospital. I have raised this issue with the HSE previously and the reason I am raising it today is at national level, the HSE needs to get a handle on policy and the use of money relating to HSE estates. A total of €4 million has been spent on the Abbeyleix hospital, which has 28 beds. That is if you assume the day care centre does not take up part of that. The day care centre was operating on the site. I do not want to go into too much detail. It was planned to move it. I understand that HSE estates was looking in surrounding towns for another location to buy a building or site. However, and this is the thing I want the HSE to take away, the site at Abbeyleix hospital is 4.5 acres. The grounds there are significant and the hospital is small. While the day care centre has reopened, which is welcome and something we all want, having it on that site is only supposed to be an interim measure. I think Jim Curran is the head of HSE estates. He needs to look at this. Here is a site in the centre of Abbeyleix in the middle of the catchment area it serves in south Laois. Why would the HSE look to buy derelict buildings and try to repurpose and remodel them or buy new sites and build on them when there is a site? Why would the HSE not add a modular unit or a new building or whatever needs to be done on that site to retain the day care services, which help keep people out of hospital? All of the witnesses, including Dr. Henry as a doctor, know these services help to keep people out of hospital. The centre provides vital services to elderly people in the catchment area from nearly half the country. Can we have a bit of common sense regarding retaining that service on the site at Abbeyleix hospital?