Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask the Tánaiste about the detail of the promise in the programme for Government to "[i]ncrease the number of specialist palliative care beds countrywide over the next five years, ensuring that there will be a hospice serving every region in the country." I was very disappointed when reading the programme for Government that there is a lack of detail throughout the document. There are very few numbers, which means there are very few clear targets. I feel that this is just a way to avoid being held to account when little or no progress is being made. What is meant by a "region"? Is it a county, a province or a major town? County Laois does not have an inpatient hospice or a specialist palliative care unit but we need one. We need a clear plan as to how and when it will be delivered, and we need one that is fit for purpose and for the future. In developing end-of-life services, the care and dignity of a dying person and his or her family must be our focus.

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