Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the last comment of the Minister of State. With all due respect, however, both Helen’s family and Cathy have been forced to go public. Helen is in her 70s and stuck in an inappropriate bed in St. Vincent’s hospital, Dublin, for the past 12 months. How many more people are in other hospitals throughout the country waiting to be treated in that hospital bed in St. Vincent’s? Cathy, a young woman of 51 years of age, has been stuck inappropriately in Dún Laoghaire for the past six months. The Minister of State gave the numbers of people around the country who could be treated in that specific bed but who are waiting for access to it.

I have given the Department the details of these two cases. They are already in the public domain. I am disappointed I did not get a response to the specific issues I raised, however. The Department looked for specific information from me regarding the individuals in question. I provided it with that information. With all due respect, however, the response today from the Minister of State is a generic reply to a generic issue. This is not a generic issue.

Two specialist beds have been tied up for the past 18 months.

Two women are being accommodated inappropriately in specialist beds who should not be in them. There is a young woman from County Roscommon who wants to go home. Her husband has carried out changes to their cottage in Lisacul, County Roscommon in order that she can return home and have her dignity and as much independence as possible. I plead with the Minister of State to take on this issue and come back to me with a detailed reply and commitment to provide funding to unlock the two beds for the two women mentioned and anyone else who might need them.

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