Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, I want to thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He has been consistently raising this issue for quite some time along with Deputy Cahill, who has been very persistent on it. We are aware of the depth of feeling among the people in Roscrea associated with the Dean Maxwell Community Nursing Unit. The Deputy gave the background to the decision making that led to where we are. It serves the community very well. Its location is right in the centre of the town, which facilitates all who wish to visit those who live in the facility. Access is important to relatives.

It is registered for 27 beds, of which 20 are long-term residential care beds. It also provides seven palliative, respite or short-term care beds. They are counting 19 long-term residents who live in Dean Maxwell and there is currently one respite bed in use now. As the Deputy knows, HIQA has had concerns about the current design of the building. It is very old and work is ongoing to redress these issues.

To be fair to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, she has worked with the Deputy and local representatives to make sure that nothing happens in the immediate sense and the HIQA registration for beds in Dean Maxwell was renewed in 2020 will remain valid until 2023. The HSE intends to continue to admit residents to Dean Maxwell when there is bed availability. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is fully committed to exploring all available options. She has been meeting with public representatives, as the Deputy knows, and engaged on 21 April last when she invited public stakeholders to accompany her on a visit to CareBright at Bruff, County Limerick just to see the potential. She has put much work into this, to be fair.

I would be happy to meet the local action group with the Ministers in question to hear its presentation. As I said, Deputies Lowry and Cahill have asked for this and that is something I will be prepared to do. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has committed to exploring and proposed options in conjunction with the HSE. She had a meeting with public representatives in Tipperary and community stakeholders last April. As the Deputy knows, there have been discussions on the construction of dementia-specific independent living centre on a greenfield site, coupled with the development of new facilities on the current Dean Maxwell site. Both, by the way, would represent very significant capital allocations. It will have to meet, obviously, the needs of the local community.

In short, I would be prepared to meet them and I accept that there is a depth of anger and concern. We have to work communities to effect change. We also have to ensure compliance with HIQA standards, because the HSE has to adhere to, abide and comply with the standards that are laid down by it.

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