Frances Black (Independent)
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Families and local public representatives have written to us about the model of care provided in north Cork. There are three community residences in the area, one each in Fermoy, Mallow and Kanturk. Each residence is staffed 24 hours a day and has 14 single en suiterooms. That adds up to a total of 42 rooms for a population similar in size to that of east Cork. There is a waiting list for these north Cork residences. I understand that people who had previously been placed in ward-based settings in St. Stephen's Hospital, for instance, have been able to move to community-based living in facilities such as those Deputy Hourigan mentioned earlier, like Solas Nua, which is being established in Mallow.

Does Dr. O'Brien believe the service model in north Cork is progressive? Why does the HSE not plan to provide a comparable 24-hour staffed service in towns such as Cobh, Carrigtwohill, Midleton or Youghal to serve their local populations into the future?