Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I asked the Taoiseach about this matter yesterday and the Minister for Health last week. We need a firmer commitment on this matter. It was stated yesterday that the HSE is engaging on the issue. We do not need engagement. Dementia sufferers and their families need a clear commitment that funding will be provided and the deficit will be made up. Interim funding is needed to avert the closure of the centre at the end of this year and a longer term solution is required to secure the future of this facility. The centre is in my area and even as I speak, a very good friend of mine is in there. My step-grandmother, for want of a better word, finished her life in there. This is a key facility in the area and it would be devastating for families if it closed. I appeal to the Taoiseach to give us a clearer commitment and not just talk of engagement.

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