John Carty (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important issue. The Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar is a home for the elderly in that it provides a combination of rehabilitation and continuing care for elderly people in the county. It has five units in which it cares for 180 patients.

St. Patrick's unit is partially closed, resulting in the loss of 12 beds to the system. This is a serious shortage, especially given the crisis at the accident and emergency unit at Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar. If the 12 beds were made available, it would alleviate pressure on the accident and emergency unit by moving patients on. The unit is partially closed because of structural damage owing to bad foundations. The outer wall is severely cracked and patients cannot be admitted because of health and safety requirements.

The Health Service Executive has made several proposals to the Department of Health and Children to have the problem remedied, but without success. The cost of the renovation to the unit and other patient areas is estimated at €1.5 million. The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, and I have visited the unit and we both saw at first hand the condition of the wall and the cracks thereon. If the problem is not remedied in the near future, it will cost much more than €1.5 million because part of the outer wall will collapse.

I call on the Minister to take this issue seriously and make funds available to repair the unit so it can be made available to patients, as was originally intended. The loss of beds in the unit cannot be permitted to continue given that there is now such a demand for beds for the elderly. It does not stand up that a unit should be closed because of a structural fault not being repaired.

It is frustrating for the doctors, nurses and other staff to have the facility and yet not be able to use it because the Department will not make the funding available to repair it. I compliment the doctors, nurses and staff of the hospital on the high level of care they give to their patients and which they have given to them over many years. They are to be congratulated. I appeal to the Minister of State to make the necessary funds available.

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