Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. As of yesterday, my information is it was down to two residents. We have known for three years that the building will not meet standards. The HSE, the Government and the Department know it. In the meantime, HSE management was clear it needed four centres and the ideal size of those centres was to cater for between ten and 15 people because that provides the best model in terms of efficiency, use of resources and best practice for residents. It outlined in great detail why. Where is the fourth centre going to be? We have three in Laois-Offaly. The Department of Health owns this site. There is a building there. I recognise this building needs an upgrade but if there are going to have four centres, surely one should be located in south of the county along with one up towards the north and the centre in the middle of the county, which is in Portlaoise. That is excellent; I welcome that centre. I visited it and it is wonderful what is happening in it. The Minister of State will know that people being let out of mental health facilities and sent home who really need to be in care. Families contact me about people who are being sent out of the psychiatric unit, brought in for a couple of days and sent out again. Those people need to be in residential care. That is well recognised by medical professionals but there is nowhere to send them. They are not fit to hold down a tenancy in a house or to live in group supported accommodation but in a setting like that, they function. The HSE recognised that at the time so what has happened? The most recent reply I got to a parliamentary question was that no decision has been made regarding the future of Erkina House. We need to get straight answers as to what is happening. I ask the Government to use this resource and opportunity, make decisions and put a facility in place in the south of the county. Utilise the goodwill and staff who are there also.

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