Mr. Michael Fitzgerald:

To be clear, we have existing services very much in place in terms of the community services that we have spoken about. We also have the home-based treatment team that Dr. O'Brien spoke about, as well as our community mental health team. They are based in east Cork and they provide services and clinics throughout east Cork in various locations. We can send details on those to the Deputy after this meeting so that he is clear about how to access those services, which is normally through GP referrals. Those multidisciplinary teams are very much in existence.

The building in which the current continuing care facility is based is simply not fit for purpose and we cannot make it thus or bring it up to a standard that is acceptable in terms of people living there into the future. We need to consider the supported living model, which we absolutely intend to do, to retain that type of service. That is in keeping with the policy to maintain people in their own homes and communities where possible. In fairness, that has been a huge success. The teams we have put in place in east Cork mean that we do not have to build more and more long-stay, 24-hour residential settings for people because there is no other alternative. The alternative is actually in place today, with people living successfully in their own homes and communities while receiving those services. We must have faith in the policy itself, which aims to keep people in their own communities.