Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Pearse Doherty and Gallagher for raising this Topical Issue. Unfortunately the relevant Minister of State is not here, as the Deputies have noted themselves, but I will read the statement. I cannot provide any commitment on anything being turned around. I want to make that clear to both Deputies before I begin.

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for mental health and older people, Deputy Jim Daly. Unfortunately, the Minister of State is unable to be here this evening. I am sure the Deputies will appreciate he is attending a public meeting in Ballybofey this evening with the Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy McHugh. He will also meet representatives of the Friends of Lifford Hospital and will visit St Joseph’s Community Hospital, Stranorlar.

The Health Service Executive, HSE, is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including those at facilities such as at St Joseph’s Community Hospital, Stranorlar, Ramelton Community Hospital and Lifford Community Hospital. Public residential care units are an essential part of our health care infrastructure. They provide about 5,000 long-stay beds, amounting to approximately 20% of the total stock of nursing home beds nationally. There are also approximately 2,000 short-stay community public beds. While the care delivered to residents in community hospitals is generally of a very high standard, many of these services are delivered in buildings that are less than ideal in the modern context. It is important therefore that we upgrade our public bed stock. This is the aim of the five-year capital investment programme for community nursing units that was announced in 2016. This provides the framework to allow for an enhanced programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish these care facilities, as appropriate.

Significant work was undertaken to determine the most optimal scheduling of projects within the phased provision of funding to achieve compliance and registration with the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. This investment programme will see the provision of two new centres in Donegal, one in Ballyshannon and one in Letterkenny. It is proposed under this programme that the new community nursing unit in Letterkenny will be delivered by the end of 2021, through a public private partnership or alternative funding model to provide long-term residential care services in the area. This decision is related to long-term residential services and is separate to and independent of any consideration of the other services currently provided in the three community hospitals. The decision reflects a view that these hospitals were not considered to be appropriate for use as residential care homes in the medium term. No decision has been made in relation to the other services provided by the hospitals.

Both Deputies will be aware that since the announcement of the five-year capital investment programme for community nursing units and following discussions with public representatives, health forum members and local community groups and local HSE management agreed to review overall requirements for the area. The review also included an assessment of the adequacy of the existing facilities. I understand that a report has been submitted to the HSE national social care division and the HSE national capital property steering group. This report will be considered by the HSE national capital property steering group in March. Any proposals for changes to the approved capital investment programme will be considered in the context of capital funding available to health, potential revenue implications and compliance with the agreed capital approval process.

On Deputy Gallagher's question, I do not have the remit to give a commitment as to what the Minister of State is going to say at the meeting this evening, as I really do not know. I take on board that both Deputies have made their concerns known and that they are not at the public meeting this evening. I will take that on board and relay their annoyance and concerns about that.

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