Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The details of the new capital plan running to 2021 are currently being finalised and should be ready in the next few weeks. In some places it will involve refurbishing an existing unit. In others, where it is not economical to carry out refurbishments, replacements will be provided and expansion can be considered in that context. Obviously, priority will be given to those that are most far behind, if that makes sense, in meeting HIQA building standards. I cannot give any specific commitment on any specific centre today for any part of the country because the plan will have to be carried out comprehensively on a national basis.

Deputy Stanley mentioned single-occupancy rooms. It is permitted under the standards to have dual occupancy rooms, but it is no longer possible to have rooms with four, six or 12 people. I have visited some units, including a very old one in Carrick-on-Shannon, for example, and listened to residents and family members. They were happy with the standard of care, but the quality of the building was not very good. I suggest that people visit new buildings such as the community nursing unit in the Phoenix Park, which used to be St. Mary's hospital. One can really see what the units should look like and what the modern standard of care for the elderly is. It is only when one sees this that one realises quite how inappropriate some of the older units are.

Many community nursing units are in buildings that are 100, 150 or 200 years old. Very many are old workhouses or county homes. While it was acceptable to have people living in rooms of six, ten or 12 beds on old-fashioned Florence Nightingale wards up to ten years ago, it is not acceptable now and into the future, and certainly not in ten years' time. It is not possible to replace 200 years' worth of infrastructure in a few years. We lost six or seven years as a consequence of the economic crisis. The economy is now growing and as long as we continue that, keep the recovery strong and protect it from those who would undermine it, we will have the possibility of catching up over the next six years on what we missed out on in the past six years and bringing all of these units for older people and people with disabilities up to standard.

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