Results 2,161-2,180 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Security of Electricity Supply: Motion [Private Members] (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I also thank the Regional Group for bringing the motion forward. The response of the Government to the crisis being inflicted on families and businesses across the country has been dreadful. Earlier this year, the Government was pushed to introduce measures to assist families and businesses but as the crisis increased, the Government refused to have an emergency budget, opting instead to...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Let us be clear that Irish Water as it stands is a complete disaster. There is no denying this. Before I continue, I note my unshakeable belief that water should be provided based on need, free at the point of access and funded through general taxation. This Bill separates Uisce Éireann from its parent company Ervia. It was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in committee, yet some...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I want to wish everybody a good afternoon and welcome them to our public meeting. I see that we have some members present in committee room 4. Apologies have been received from Senators Craughwell, Buttimer and Warfield at this stage. We have substitutions. Deputy Quinlivan is substituting for Senator Warfield and Senator Maria Byrne is substituting for Senator Buttimer. The Ceann...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I thank Mr. Fitzgerald. Before I allow other members in, I have a few points myself. Can Mr. Fitzgerald give us a date on which the closing of Owenacurra was discussed? The Irish Examinerhas given a date of 2019, while other reports have stated that it was 2021.Is it not strange that a development that would upend people's lives so much apparently took place during meetings for which no...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I would suggest the HSE building issues in Owenacurra are replicated right across Cork and every other county. The buildings are so old that they all have the same problems. How was Owenacurra singled out?

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I have just one more question before allowing others to contribute. Was Owenacurra chosen just on a financial basis? None of the recommendations we have seen states it should have been closed. The Mental Health Commission has consistently given the wards of St. Stephen's and St. Finbarr's hospitals lower compliance ratings than Owenacurra. Was Owenacurra chosen for closure on a financial...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: The HSE has taken up the very foundations of community care, that is, of people being looked after in their own community. They are being spread out among facilities that are in some cases questionable. It is not me but the Mental Health Commission that states they are not up to the standard of the Owenacurra Centre. There is no comparison between taking people out of single rooms and...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I ask Deputy Buckley to withdraw the word "coercion" or reword it.

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: A quick one, Deputy.

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I wish to come back to 2019 and the possible sale of Owenacurra Centre reported in the newspapers. The response from the HSE at the time was that it was being looked at because it is a stand-alone building. Three other buildings, Carraig Mór in Cork, Mount Alvernia Hospital in north Cork and old Caherina House in Tralee, are also stand-alone buildings, yet for some reason they were not...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I hope you do not mind my saying, Mr. Fitzgerald, that I find it very hard to believe that the sale of Owenacurra Centre came up for discussion twice and no one decided to find out how much money could be raised by its sale. If I am selling or buying something at home, I go on DoneDeal and start looking for different prices. Mr. Fitzgerald is trying to tell me that a meeting took place...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: The sale of Owenacurra Centre came up twice in meetings, though, in 2019.

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: The HSE has a policy document on services for people with severe and enduring mental illness that includes this sentence: "To successfully live in their chosen community, it is recognised that a small cohort of service users will need the on-going support and structure of a community residence which is geared towards continuing care." Under the HSE's plans for east Cork, continuing care...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I am not sure. I will come back to one of the first things I asked the witnesses about, the meetings of which there were no reports. None of the witnesses answered that. Do they consider it best practice to have meetings that affect people's lives and communities all across this State at which no one takes minutes? I am involved in a residents' association. If we talk about putting...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I appreciate that Mr. Fitzgerald made decisions. Can he give a ballpark figure for how much it cost to close down the Owenacurra Centre and move its residents elsewhere? Did it cost €1 million or €2 million?

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Mr. Fitzgerald has said that he made the decision but I still cannot comprehend that no records were kept at meetings of decisions concerning large sums of public moneys. We know that these decisions were made at meetings and no records were kept but I find it strange that decisions were not recorded. We are all involved with different committees and the first thing one does is hand someone...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I have no doubt that the decision was hard. I have no issue with Mr. Fitzgerald making his decision but find it strange that these decisions were not recorded. We invited representatives of the Mental Health Commission to attend this meeting and they informed us that they could not. Did the HSE inform the commission when it was moving residents and had the commission concerns about any...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Did the commission object to any of the placements?

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: No other members have indicated. I thank Mr. Fitzgerald, Dr. O'Brien, Mr. Ryan, and Mr. O'Connell. Would Mr. Fitzgerald like to make any closing comments?

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee
Consideration of Public Petition on Saving the Services of the Owenacurra Centre in Cork: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Thank you Mr. Fitzgerald. It has been very informative for the committee. We thank the witnesses for coming in. We will suspend the sitting to allow our guests to leave.