Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed that neither the Minister for Health nor any of the Ministers of State at the Department of Health are here because this is an important issue. I am sorry the other Minister of State is leaving because it is to do with the lack of services in Armagh Road primary care centre, which is linked to the special school on Armagh Road, Our Lady of Hope School. We were informed by activists in Drimnagh that, on Tuesday evening, an employee in the Mother McAuley Centre contacted them to say that all public health nurses were moving out of Curlew Road health centre to Armagh Road primary care centre due to staff shortages. She has had difficulty getting nurse services for the centre over the past week or so, the email said. All public health nurses will be gone by 1 April. Allied support workers, occupational therapists, OTs, and social workers have already moved to Armagh Road, so they do not know which services are left in Curlew Road. The employee was also informed that the sod on the new primary care centre, for which we have been waiting nearly ten years, will not be turned until quarter 4 2024. The email goes on to say that this is truly frightening news and something needs to be done about it urgently. Residents in Drimnagh feel they have been kicked in the teeth again and deprived of services. I hope we will get some clarification from the Minister of State this evening on this issue.

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