Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Tá fáilte roimh an Teachta Adams thar n-ais mar ní raibh sé anseo an tseachtain seo chaite. In any event, as for the development of the plans for residential services for older people in County Louth, the HSE Louth-Meath primary services unit established a group to identify those options and to address existing pressures on the existing Cottage Hospital, of which Deputy Adams is aware.

That review is now complete. The detailed options appraisal report has been prepared. The HSE Dublin north-east region will publish this report next week and there will be the commencement of a full public consultation process. It has already commenced informal meetings, as the Deputy will be aware, with residents of the Cottage Hospital and their families to discuss concerns they may have at this time. A similar options appraisal report for St. Joseph's Hospital in Ardee will be published in the coming weeks and will be the subject of further discussions. In that regard, the HSE is also involved in discussions about the future of public nursing homes and a conclusion to that will be published by the Minister for Health in due course. Clearly the HSE is also carrying out a viability analysis on the future of all long-stay nursing homes in order to maximise the numbers who should be retained within-----

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