Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Bill is timely and relevant to HIQA and the HSE. As the Minister of State will be aware, I previously raised the issue of elderly residents being moved from their homes in the Willow and Sycamore units in Cherry Orchard Hospital. To my knowledge, 33 residents have been moved so far and 16 remain in the hospital. Sadly, 19 of these families have since been bereaved. I raise this issue again in the hope that I will receive some answers. In the case of Cherry Orchard, the Minister previously said that it was the recommendation of HIQA to move residents. I have spoken with the families of those affected in the hospital and they told me they have conflicting evidence to suggest that the HSE made this decision, not HIQA. It seems like the tail is wagging the dog here. Yesterday, in response to my colleague, Deputy Patricia Ryan, the Minister said a HIQA inspection identified concerns about the flooring in both the Sycamore and Willow units of the hospital.

I previously tabled a parliamentary question to which I only got a response two days ago. The question was to ask the Minister for Health to outline whether the decision to move residents from the Willow and Sycamore units of Cherry Orchard was a recommendation from HIQA or the HSE. The first line of the response is that it was a HSE decision to temporarily close the units. Who made the decision to move these patients and to close the units? Was it the HSE or HIQA? Did the HSE make the managerial decision to close these units? Were other options explored by the HSE? Could work be carried out in one unit at a time while moving residents to other parts of the campus? Could the remaining residents be kept on site in Cherry Orchard Hospital in the completed safe rooms within the Willow East building? Families deserve answers. I have asked several times that the Minister of State would meet with the families but so far this has not happened. I again ask her to meet with the families.

In November last year, 68 residents and their families were told that residents would have to be moved out of their homes. Information I received from the HSE in November highlighted that there were structural problems in the units. However, I received a different response from the HSE on 14 February stating there were no significant structural problems and that only remedial works needed to be carried out. As I said previously, something does not add up here. This is the second piece of contradictory information I have received from the HSE. I again ask if there were structural problems in the units. Were they significant enough to close the units and force residents out? Who made the decision? Was it the HSE or HIQA? Will the Minister of State agree to meet with the families? The residents, families, loved ones and staff all need clarification.

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