David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response. This is a positive development but we need more of it. The fact this was announced in February 2022 and staff were recruited later that year without a hub being available is a concern. I also understand we have not had consultants. It is supposed to be consultant-led, according to the Minister of State’s response, but I do not think any consultants have been appointed in that time. This is hugely important.

Quite a number of people are referred to in the response I got from the HSE: operational leads; project officers; administrative officers; clinical nurse specialists – there are four of those; staff nurses; rehab co-ordinator; senior physiotherapists; staff in cardiology and respiratory; and dieticians and podiatrists. All are in position but do not have a place to carry out their work. We need movement on this. We need to see it established and to get these people working and then broaden out this programme to different parts of the country.

The Minister of State said the north Cork CDM hub, which will be located in Mallow, will serve a population of 150,000 people. Mallow is the centre, which is great, but Youghal is at one end of it and Millstreet at the other. The distances are fairly large so if we expect people who are chronically ill to travel those distances, it will take quite a while every day and involve cost. We need to broaden our thinking and look at ambulance centres in places like east Cork, Youghal, Newmarket and Kanturk so people will not have to travel such distances but can go to the specialisms in their areas. Ambulant walk-in centres are the future. It is a fantastic programme. I encourage the Department, the HSE and the Minister to drive this forward and make it happen.

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