Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Butler and McGrath for raising this important issue. The overarching policy of the Government is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. This is clearly what older people and everybody in this House wants. We also have patients who are in genuine need of residential care either on a long-stay or short-stay basis. The HSE is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including those at facilities such as Dungarvan Community Hospital and St Patrick's community nursing unit in Cashel. Both hospitals provide long-stay residential, respite, palliative care and rehabilitation services for older people. As with the health service In general, Dungarvan Community Hospital and St. Patrick’s, Cashel are experiencing significant challenges with recruiting and retaining nursing staff. Dungarvan has 16 whole-time equivalent vacancies, eight of which are required for the Sacred Heart ward. St. Patrick's has vacancies for ten whole-time equivalents. While there have been a number of national recruitment campaigns for nurses, unfortunately a serious challenge has arisen in recruiting nurses to fill vacancies in these facilities. These two examples in Dungarvan and Cashel highlight the absolute importance of ensuring we hire the 1,208 more nurses we are fully funded to hire this year. Nurses, through their representative bodies, the INMO and SIPTU, voted overwhelmingly a number of weeks ago to accept the proposals we put in place. I will be talking to the INMO at its annual conference tomorrow about how we turn the plan into absolute action so that facilities like this can be adequately staffed because this is a very acute problem.

As a result of the nurse recruitment shortages, in order to maintain the delivery of safe, high quality services in compliance with standards and the laws of the land to look after people, which is what is most important, the HSE has decided to move residents internally from the Sacred Heart ward to alternative accommodation within Dungarvan Community Hospital and to amalgamate wards within St. Patrick's. This is a temporary measure and staff will be reorganised to optimise patient safety. Long-stay and short-stay care, including palliative and dementia care all continue to be provided. I assure Deputies Butler and McGrath there is no decision in any way, shape or form to close these facilities or beds. It is a short-term measure whilst recruitment is under way. I say that on the record of the House to give assurances to the people of Dungarvan and the people of Cashel and beyond on this. It is a staffing shortage that we are determined to fix so these beds can reopen. I understand the decision has caused a great deal of upset for residents, families and the local community. I hope further clarity has been and will continue to be brought to the situation by the HSE. I fully accept the point made by Deputies Butler and McGrath about the panic, upset and confusion it caused over the bank holiday weekend.

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