Dáil debates

Tuesday, 14 May 2019

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

4:00 pm

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have raised on many occasions decisions by the Health Service Executive, HSE, to close down centres which are looking after vulnerable people. I have made particular and frequent reference to the Rosalie centre in Castlerea, County Roscommon. The centre was catering for 30 people but the HSE has slowly but surely whittled down that number to about ten. It has now decided to close the unit. I have posed this question to the Taoiseach on many occasions but these are vulnerable people. I would like to think that the Taoiseach, as leader of the country, would be a voice for those people. Will he intervene and ask the HSE not to do this to people who have lived most of their lives in these centres and know the people who look after them well? This is causing distress to patients and their families. One person, who is a ward of court, was taken out of the unit and placed in a private nursing home before Easter. The HSE will tell us that it is the expert in this area. Some of the people concerned have asked not to be moved. They made that request to me last year. It strikes a chord with me and is very upsetting. Is the Taoiseach prepared to tell the HSE to stall this process until a better way is found?

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