Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)

I do not know if the Minister really knows what is happening in Kerry regarding the provision of health facilities.

In Tralee we have a new 50-bed hospital for the elderly. It has been finished and ready for occupation for some time, but it has not been opened. The equipment for this hospital is being stored in the occupational therapy department of St. Finan's Hospital in Killarney. The occupational therapy unit in Killarney is defunct; on top of that, a CCTV system has had to be provided to safeguard the equipment for this hospital. The hospital was intended to be opened on a phased basis. I imagine this is due to the recruitment embargo in the public service; that is the only reason I can come up with. There is a new community hospital in Dingle that has been finished for some time and has yet to be opened. Again, we are advised that this is to be opened on a phased basis. There is a new building on the grounds of St. Finan's to cater for psychiatric patients, which also has been finished for some time and has yet to be opened. Again, we are led to believe the reason for this is the recruitment embargo.

To move to the psychiatric side, there was an agreement with the unions that St. Finan's would be closed in 2007, yet we are now going into 2010 and nothing has been done. The last time I raised this issue there were 52 patients in St. Finan's psychiatric hospital, with 65 staff to look after them. A new unit has been since built to house several of the patients, which has not yet been opened because of the recruitment embargo. It costs €1,000 per day just to heat St. Finan's.

The Sheppard report stated that if €50,000 was spent on upgrading Cherryfield House, another psychiatric facility in Killarney, it would accommodate the rest of the psychiatric patients from St. Finan's. Yet we maintain St. Finan's, which has 52 patients and 65 staff. In the budget, as the leader of my party stated earlier today when talking about alternative options, it was announced-----

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