Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important to put on the record that the reason why my colleagues and I put this issue on the agenda today is because on 21 November the HSE refused the application that was submitted by Our Lady's Hospice for funding. The agency did so on two grounds. First, it said it could not approve it because the application was made retrospectively. Second, it said each agency has to follow the same procedures and submit applications in advance of the project being progressed.

In respect of the first reason, the hospice was within the timeframe for submitting the application - it was not retrospective. The HSE has been aware of the project for over two years. In terms of the second reason, the conditions in which people were living in the hospice palliative care unit were degenerating. The build and fit-out had to take place as a matter of urgency in order to ensure patient comfort and safety and the best possible environment for end-of-life patients.

In the circumstances and in light of what the Minister of State has said, I urge the HSE to consider the next funding stage positively as it is an invaluable service that provides help to all of the people of Dublin.

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