James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not having a go at the Minister of State or the line Minister. However, this is becoming a habit in the House and this case illustrates why it is an issue. The staff here are being paid a day late this week. I have been told there will not be enough money to pay the staff in December. There are 300 service users. Everyone is under stress, including staff, service users and their families. The answer that has been typed out for the Minister of State to read does not answer any of my questions. It does not address the situation of ongoing issues between St. Aidan's and the HSE regarding funding for the past two and a half years. It does not say whether the Minister is going to engage with the situation with either St. Aidan's or the HSE. No solutions, proposals or ideas are set out to deal with this situation and we will go home today none the wiser. Most of the Minister of State's reply just tells us what we already know. What does the Minister say to the staff who are being paid late through no fault of St. Aidan's which does not have the funding? What is to be said to families and service users? Will there be any intervention? The HSE's CHO 5 states that it has no money to pay because it has run out of cash. The matter has gone up the line to senior HSE management, but that is not addressed in the reply. The HSE and the Department have been given fair warning about this situation, which has now reached a crisis point. If things fall apart in the coming weeks, the responsibility will lie at their doorstep.

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