Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

I listened with interest to the pervious comments, which I assume are those of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, regarding the Government being committed to ensuring the best quality health services possible are delivered in the most efficient and effective way possible. I find it quite extraordinary, in the context of those comments, that it is proposed to scrap proposals to redevelop the old Meath Hospital, which would have made provision for adequate and suitable primary care facilities for the Dublin 8 and Dublin 2 areas.

I find it extraordinary because, as I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Brady, and I know, the future of health services in this country is through primary care. We have an acute system which is creaking. Every political party agrees with the paramount need for the delivery of primary care services. We have been promised this since well before 2002. In fact, this was one of the key promises of Fianna Fáil in the run-up to the 2002 general election and many votes were garnered in the Dublin 8 area on foot of such promises. The same promises were made in 2007 and, yet again, are not being delivered on.

There is now an official decision from the HSE not to deliver on the funding that was committed, earmarked and ring-fenced specifically for the Meath Hospital. To give a picture of the current level of primary care, to say it is inadequate would be an understatement. There are two small teams providing primary care services in the south inner city area, comprising a community nursing unit with 54 beds, which is inadequate, and the Irish Wheelchair Association, which also operates from the Meath Hospital. There is also a social inclusion service. It is a very modest level of primary care.

What has been promised, and what the funding was earmarked for, were an additional 100 beds for a community nursing unit on the site of the Meath Hospital, at a cost of €20 million, a new mental health day care facility, which would have made a tremendous difference to the people in the area who are crying out for any form of mental health services, new disability services, in particular respite apartments for family care, which would be very far-reaching but, unfortunately, will not be delivered, and a new primary care network with a new primary care team and a purpose-built facility.

In addition, there was a commitment for 50 units of sheltered housing on the site, which would have had a tremendous impact on the local community but this has also now been scrapped by Dublin City Council. There is a requirement for €40 million. As I said, €30 million was earmarked by the HSE, but a number of local Deputies and councillors were called to a meeting recently and told it would not be available.

This issue is very important for this area, for a number of reasons. Day care services in this area would have allowed local residents to get treatment locally, without having to travel and, very importantly, without clogging up major hospitals, such as St. James's Hospital, which are already under tremendous pressure. We know the difficulties that exist with acute beds in such hospitals. They are being occupied by people who do not require acute treatment.

This development would certainly have eased the pressure in the south east inner city area. A community nursing unit would have taken a significant amount of pressure off acute beds in hospitals such as St. James's Hospital. Sheltered housing would have allowed elderly people in the area to remain in their community when they have reached a stage in their lives when they deserve to be in care near their families, with the support of their families around them. It would have allowed people to get treatment locally and would have been an important signal to the people of the inner city that they are not being forgotten or neglected and are not bottom of the list of priorities, which is how they often feel. It is myopic to sacrifice this type of investment.

Everybody is talking about cuts in the HSE and health services and they are required, although we argue they should be found in other areas, particularly in administration in the HSE. However, this short-term saving will have long-term consequences because it will put increasing pressure on our major hospitals and acute beds, and will not do anything to serve the long-term interests of these communities.

I urge the Minister of State, Deputy Brady, to take that message back to the Department of Health and Children and the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

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