Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I have a copy of the report from 2016. I have been trying to say that the HSE was told back in 2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, therefore, it was okay for people to live in the centre but now it is unsafe. The Minister of State is blaming the Mental Health Commission, which is there to improve services. The HSE has ignored all those requests for services and we now have a centre that is threatened with closure. It is causing immense stress.

We have no clarity from any HSE department on what has happened with patient safety. The Minister of State mentioned it but I can tell her that patient safety is not paramount within this. I know the way families have been treated. I spoke to patients there who came out on a rally with us last Saturday to try to garner support to keep the services in east Cork and, particularly, Midleton. I recall one gentleman told me that he thought it was going to be his forever home and that he was going to die there.

We cannot lose the services. I appeal to all the Minister and Ministers of State to come and have a look at it. As one resident said, "Don't move us; improve us". That is what we need in east Cork and in the Owenacurra centre.

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